Debris
by yukiislikesnow
Summary: It's not just collisions that scatter debris. Sometimes things just get torn apart and they leave bits of themselves behind; and there's no way to get everything back. Glee/Struck By Lightning crossover (already completed)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Word Count: 63,934 total, 5,773 this section.

A/N: This was my submission for this years NaNoWriMo. It's a Struck By Lightning/Glee crossover. I haven't seen SBL yet but I can't wait. There aren't any spoilers for the movie besides names I suppose. This takes place midway through Kurt and Carson's senior year in high school. In this fic the two of them are twins that got separated when their parents divorced.

Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or Struck By Lighting.

**Prologue**

"Make it quick." A haggard looking woman was standing straight as a rod, arms crossed over her chest. She was eying the people in front of her warily, a young boy and a balding man. The little boy surged forward; his freckles standing out harshly against his pallid, tear streaked face. He wrapped his arms tightly around the woman's son, clinging tightly and whining pitifully against his neck. They clung to each other,crying and pressing tight like they could fuse together and stop it all from happening. The two of them had to be pulled apart. The woman with wild windswept hair grabbed her son around the middle and hauled him to the car, paying no mind to his pitiful sobs and scratching hands.

She pushed him into the car and leaned across him to buckle his seat belt. She didn't spare a glance to the wailing child behind her. She slid into the front seat with a grim set face and started the engine before she was properly buckled. As she pulled away from the quaint two story house the small boy ran after the car crying and screaming for the boy in the back seat. He and his father stood in the street, watching in the direction the car went until long after it was out of sight.

**Chapter One**

Coming to Kurt's house on Friday had become as much a tradition for Blaine as Friday night dinners had become for Kurt. His own parents both worked late, sometimes well into the morning hours, on Fridays. So if he wasn't at Kurt's he was at home eating Thursday's leftovers or quick meals scavenged from the pantry. And as much as he enjoyed grilled cheese and tomato soup, homemade chicken vegetable lasagna just tasted better. So he followed after Kurt's car with a smile on his face and high hopes for the night ahead. Even the impending talk they were to have didn't bother him. Kurt had seemed a little worried but he hadn't lashed out at Rachel in Glee and Burt was doing just fine so it couldn't be anything too bad. Blaine honestly thought it had something to do with their sex life. Even though the two of them had progressed far south of the border with each other there were still moments when Kurt felt insecure and unattractive. The latter of which couldn't be more false. So false in fact that Blaine dedicated whole nights to proving it so often using very physical demonstrations and breathy whispered declarations. Yeah, he had very high hopes for the night.

He parked in his designated spot in the grass along the curb and all but skipped to Kurt's Navigator to open his door. He pulled it open with a flourish and folded into a bow while sweeping his arm out in invitation for Kurt to exit. His cheesy display earned him a chuckle and a kiss on the forehead. Blaine accepted it and countered with a kiss to Kurt's knuckles then stepped back before he could get swatted on the arm. Finn lumbered out with much less grace and slammed his door which Kurt frowned at. Whatever was bothering him must be pretty important because Kurt didn't say anything about the mistreatment of his baby. It worried Blaine a little.

Blaine took Kurt's hand and followed him in, sweeping his thumb over the skin of Kurt's hand. A quick look inside shows that both Burt and Carole are out, probably at work. It doesn't take long for Finn to backtrack and fly out to his truck to see Rachel. Kurt does his little finger wiggle wave then turns and beckons Blaine to come with him to the bedroom. The front door slamming spurns Blaine into motion. He's almost giddy with anticipation. They have the whole house to themselves and Kurt could very possibly be attempting to propose a new sexual fantasy. And if Blaine has to play the role of supportive boyfriend to help him feel at ease with it, well that's just a burden he'll have to bare.

"You're quiet today."

Kurt hums. "I've got a lot on my mind." He pulls Blaine into his room and gently pushes him toward the bed then closes his door. "I wanted to show you something." That sends Blaine's mind reeling. It's entirely possible that Kurt has some risque outfit he's put together just for them. "Animal" still weighs heavily in both their minds, an awkward reminder that they're both young and learning. Fashion is normally Kurt's comfort zone even well in the avant garde but throw something at him that's suppose to scream sensual and he panics. Blaine eagerly waits as Kurt heads to his closet, cheering wildly in his head. It could be anything. There was a corset once, which had been all kinds of sexy, but impractical once they started going. Kurt was still sore about how the whole thing had devolved but Blaine still thought about it fondly.

Blaine heard Kurt rummaging around deep in the back of his closet. It sounded like he was going through his fabric tubs. The rustling stopped but Kurt didn't reemerge. Blaine thought he was gathering his confidence. He remained still on the foot of the bed, ready to put on a supportive face. As Kurt came out Blaine saw what he was holding before his face. It wasn't clothing which confused him. He looked up at Kurt's face quickly to see if there were any hints there. The crumpled, heartbroken look on his face wiped away all of Blaine's arousal and left him on edge and worried. "What is it?" Blaine extends his hand, either to take Kurt's hand or the thing in it; whichever Kurt needs most. Kurt doesn't answer him. He hugs the powder blue thing to his chest for a second longer then pushes it into Blaine's hands.

It's a picture. The chunky plastic frame is cool in his hands and the sheer childishness of it gives Blaine pause. Then he looks at the picture. It's Kurt as a child. He's young and smiling. There's a smattering of freckles across the bridge of his nose and his eyes are crinkled up in laughter. He's running towards the camera in crisp khaki shorts and a lilac downy sweater. His arm is stretched to the side, fingers curled just so like he's trying to grab something. And there next to him is an almost mirror image. It's Kurt, looks like him. He's wearing black cargo shorts and a bright blue cotton shirt. He's reaching here too. They share the same smile, the same freckled noses and cheeks, and the same thick brown hair. Blaine has no idea what he's looking at.

At first glance it seems like a trivial attempt at photoshop, complete with minor inconsistencies. The Kurt on the left, the Kurt wearing the downy lilac sweater has freckles on his face the color of brown sugar. They're light and clustered mostly over the bridge of Kurt's nose and the apples of his cheeks but as Blaine looks closer he notices that they're actually covering the entirety of his face. The Kurt on the right however has a dense cluster of dark brown freckles concentrated only on the bridge of his nose and his cheeks. There's other little things, minor differences that makes Blaine think Kurt pulled the right hand photo from some months later than the original.

At the foot of the bed Kurt is still standing quietly, arms crossed, eyes focused intently at the picture frame in Blaine's hands. He looks like he's waiting for Blaine to react but for the life of him he can't figure out what he's suppose to say. Blaine looks at the photo again, taking in the background. It's late afternoon, or early evening. The sunlight filtering in behind the grand oak tree is golden colored. The grass is trim and in the bottom corners he can see the edges of the flourishing garden that encircles Kurt's back yard. What seems most odd to Blaine is that the background matches both Kurt's perfectly. The light hits them just right, their shoes are folding over grass, and he can't see any blurry pixels or unexplainable shadows. It's as if the picture in his hands really has captured two Kurt's reaching out to each other. There's no way that's possible though. That would mean Kurt has a twin. A brother, a real flesh and blood brother out there somewhere. Or dead. Blaine smooths his thumbs over the glass and chastises himself. Kurt Hummel is a family man. He believes in family above all else. There's no way Kurt could have a brother that he didn't know about. If he did have a brother, if this hypothetical twin died along with Kurt's mother Blaine would know about it. They talked about everything. Especially family, even when it was hard.

He was getting ahead of himself, winding himself up for no reason. The picture in his hands was obviously a brilliant photoshop masterpiece and Blaine was being a slave to his imagination. "It's...what is it exactly?" Kurt bites on his lip, holds it there for a second, then lets it slip free slowly. Blaine knows it's something he does when he's nervous or upset and that sends off alarm bells, because he can't think of a sane reason for Kurt to be upset or nervous over an altered photo. He uncurls his legs and lets them drop to the floor in front of Kurt, then sets the picture aside. Kurt watches it go and flinches when Blaine puts his hands over Kurt's hips. "Hey, what's the matter?"

"I haven't been honest with you." It's quiet and garbled with tears. Blaine's heart races at the confession. He knows better than to speak up. Interruptions give Kurt the option to opt out of emotional conversations. Whatever the story is behind the photo it's obvious Kurt needs to get it out. Blaine just rubs his thumbs back and forth over Kurt's hips. He wishes Kurt weren't wearing so many layers. He wanted so badly to brush his thumbs over the bare skin of Kurt's hips to ground him.

"Shh, it's okay. It's going to be okay Kurt. Whatever it is." Kurt snorts and tosses his head to the side. His hair is coming loose from his pompadour and falling across his forehead.

"I've been lying to you. To everyone. And I'm so..._angry_, and sick to my stomach." Kurt wants to say more but his throat closes up. He's crying freely now and his mouth is open, his lips curled in, but no sound is coming out. He feels like he's choking. When he sees Blaine beginning to stand up he steps to the side and grabs the picture frame. He holds it to his chest with crossed arms and drops his chin to his chest.

Blaine is lost. When Kurt had asked him to come over earlier to talk he assumed they would be discussing their plans for the holidays. He felt ill prepared for the bundle of nerves and sadness that was standing next to him. "Kurt...what's wrong? What's making you feel sick?"

"He's my brother! He's my brother. Mine! And we don't talk. We don't write. We just...drifted away and now we treat him like a dirty little secret and it's not his fault. It's not! It's not...it's not." Kurt's clutching the picture frame tight to his chest and curling around it. His breath is ragged with tears and he's sniffling. He looks younger and more vulnerable than Blaine's ever seen him before. It's terrifying. And confusing.

Never had Kurt mentioned a brother, let alone a twin. His mind raced through outrageous reasons why this boy would be turned away. Burt certainly didn't seem the type to disown anyone. He could have run away but that was unlikely. A child as photogenic as Kurt disappearing would have been national news. And the way Kurt said that they didn't talk meant that this boy was alive somewhere. It was mind boggling. Blaine was so shocked with the revelation that it didn't even cross his mind to feel angry or betrayed. Instead he just felt intensely curious and saddened by proxy.

Still unsure of what to say, Blaine hesitantly placed his hands on Kurt's shoulders and guided him to sit on the bed. Once there Kurt rocked forward until his crossed arms were pressed into his thighs. He was still sobbing over the picture frame. "Breathe Kurt. Come on, just breathe okay." Blaine moved forward until Kurt's head was pressing into his stomach, then reached out and started rubbing across Kurt's back; his palms pressing just enough for Kurt to feel it through his layered tops. He made quiet shushing noises as he worked, trying to lessen the emotional storm Kurt had worked himself up into. He still couldn't make heads or tails of the apparent fact that Kurt had a twin brother. More than just his absence there was the fact that no one else seemed to know about him. Lima was a small town, not one school small, but close knit enough that everyone knew everyone else's dirty little secrets. Something as scandalous as a long lost twin brother to the town gay was something that everyone should know about. And while Blaine trusted certain adults to be discreet enough to not bring it up in polite company, the same couldn't be said for the teenagers of the town. Glee club alone would tip toe around such a fact with the grace of an elephant.

They stayed like that for a while, past the time when Kurt's sobs tapered off into sniffles and then into silence. He didn't move from his hunched position, instead making himself more comfortable. He had finally loosened his death grip on the chunky blue plastic frame, though it remained close to his chest. Blaine fought the urge to shift his weight from foot to foot, and the urge to speak. He wasn't sure he could say anything that wouldn't set Kurt off in another round of tears. As far as he knew there was no tactful way to ask why you had a brother in exile.

A slam from downstairs startled them both. It was Finn stampeding into the living room. A few beats later and the door opened again, softly. Burt and Carole were home as well. Blaine stepped back from Kurt and watched as he straightened himself. He rolled his shoulders back and set the picture frame aside, glass down, on the bed. His fingers stroked the back of it for a moment. "Carson.", was all he said. He spoke quietly and more to the picture than to Blaine. It was his name, his brother's. Blaine didn't need to ask to be sure. He kept silent, wanting to reassure Kurt, but still unsure of what to say. With a tight smile Blaine pulled Kurt up from the bed and into a hug. Kurt buried his face in Blaine's neck and sagged into his arms.

"Kurt! Dinner's ready." Kurt pressed closer to Blaine, curling his fingers into his polo. He didn't want to go downstairs and deal with his family right now. More than anything he wanted to go to bed and be the little spoon with Blaine. But he could hear the dull sounds of plates being sat out and knew he couldn't just ignore them. With a hearty sniff Kurt pulled away and turned to the door. He reached behind himself blindly for Blaine, finding his hand with no problem, and tugged him along. They descended the stairs slowly. All the while Kurt was trying to discreetly dry his eyes and straighten his clothes. Blaine kept a firm hold on his hand, stroking his thumb over the soft skin there.

In the kitchen Finn was already seated, cautiously eating a slice of greasy meat lovers pizza. He chewed slowly with his eyes flicking back and forth between Carole and Burt. The two of them were tense. Blaine took in Carole's pinched face and aggravated motions around the kitchen. She was storming around the kitchen putting things down more forcibly than necessary. Burt stone faced. He couldn't tell if it was anger or sadness. Blaine still had no idea what was going on with Carson, if anything. He knew their behavior was related, it was too much of a coincidence not to be. They paid him no attention as Kurt pushed him into a chair. Finn nodded in greeting, then watched on in shocked awe as Kurt folded over a large slice of meat lovers pizza and started devouring it. Blaine was tactful enough to busy himself with getting a plate. He had a feeling that Kurt would be eating his emotions late into the night. There was raspberry cheesecake ice cream in the freezer and a stash of poorly hidden chocolate bars in the cabinet above the fridge.

It was the first dinner at the Hummel house that Blaine had experienced in relative silence. The air around them was charged and thick. Finn ate uncharacteristically slowly, too enthralled with the awkward elephant in the room to proceed normally. Burt kept his eyes on his plate, not even looking up when he reached for things across the table. And Carole alternated between being utterly frustrated and angry and sending sad glances at Kurt. Who had barely come up for air between bites of greasy pizza. When Kurt almost resorted to wiping the grease on his pants Blaine patted him on the thigh and quietly set about getting napkins and milk. As the pizza boxes started to near empty Blaine thought they would survive the entire ordeal relatively unscathed. Then Burt's phone rang.

At first Blaine thought it was Finn's. Finn had a special ring tone for every contact in his phone, and a separate one for text messages from each person. It wasn't unusual for Finn's phone to ring for an entire minute before he realized it was his. The sour look on Carole's face had him second guessing. She wasn't the type to project anger on her son. Kurt's deer in the headlights expression clued him in. It rang uninterrupted for thirty seconds while everyone watched Burt, still as stone. The song was Mellencamp and he didn't know the title. It wasn't his style. But the words were sad, about a dead wife. The soft crooning chant of 'Farewell, farewell' snapped Burt out of his stupor, sending him scrambling to get his phone out of his pocket. He answered it but said nothing, clutching the phone tight to his ear and hurrying out of the kitchen.

For a moment nobody moved, then just as suddenly the spell was broken. Kurt stood from his chair lightning fast, making it scrape back against the tile with an awful sound. "Night. Sorry Carole...can't..." Kurt couldn't form a complete sentence. He didn't even seem to be entirely coherent. Without waiting for acknowledgment Kurt turned and ran up the stairs to his room. Carole stood immediately after, throwing a crumpled napkin onto her plate. She stalked off in Burt's direction but said nothing. Blaine could see her standing tall and fierce with her arms crossed in front of Burt. He tore his eyes away to look at Finn, who was frozen with a hunk of pizza still chewed up in his cheek. With a sigh Blaine pushed himself away from the table and started cleaning up the mess. It was the least he could do. As much as he wanted to run to Kurt's bedroom he knew it wasn't really the time. But he didn't want to leave either and there was no way he was going to make himself comfortable in the living room after that exchange. He just hoped it didn't resort to yelling.

Finn eventually gathered himself enough to help. He put together all the spare pizza into one box while Blaine washed their plates. Burt and Carole were still outside on the front porch, but from what they could see through the window Burt and Carole looked more upset than anything. Finn noticed though that his mother was still holding herself angrily, leaning away from Burt as much as possible while still listening in on the phone conversation. He was even more out of the loop than Blaine, not having been present for Kurt's tearful confession of Carson. When he'd pulled up in the driveway his mom and Burt were right behind him, glaring at each other. Finn had taken the pizzas inside to avoid being there for the break out of a fight, and to ensure the pizza didn't get cold if they wanted to stay outside and argue. But they'd pulled themselves together and sat next to each other for a tense dinner the likes of which Finn hadn't seen outside of Quinn's house. The ringtone didn't give him anything either. It wasn't something he'd ever heard form Burt's phone before even though it sounded like the same guy. And as far as he knew Burt hadn't changed his ringtone since he bought the phone and Kurt set it up for him.

He thought that maybe it could be a woman, which would explain his mom's anger but not her concern. The great mystery of who could be on the phone had him uneasy, jittery in the stomach like after he'd called Kurt _that_ in the basement of their old house. He tried to work it out in his head, getting nowhere. Just as he was about to ask Blaine if he knew anything Burt came back inside. Finn stepped away from the counter as if he'd been burned and started looking from place to place in the kitchen with wide nervous eyes. As Burt bypassed him to go upstairs he walked stiffly into the living room and cautiously turned on the television. Blaine watched on with a wry smile as Finn perched himself stiffly on the edge of the couch, legs together, palms on his knees. Subtlety was not something he could do.

A quick glance out the kitchen window told him that Carole was collecting herself and about to come in as well. Blaine wasn't sure if he should join Finn on the couch or hover awkwardly in the hallway outside of Kurt's room. He didn't think anyone would tell him to go home straight out today, not with everything else occupying their minds. And he really didn't want to go home any earlier than he had to. The sound of the front door made up his mind. He leaned casually against the kitchen counter in case Carole needed something. If she didn't he would head up to the hallway and listen to Kurt process. Even though he knew she was coming, he was unprepared to have her in front of him. Her eyes were shining with tears and she looked less angry than before. "Oh Blaine...honey you didn't have to clean up."

"It's okay Mrs. Hummel. It's the least I could do, and Finn helped." At the sound of his name Finn whipped his head back, eyes wide and terrified for a moment. It sent Carole into a fit of giggles and dissolved the last of the tension between them. For a while the two of them just leaned against the counters and enjoyed the peace. In the living room they could hear Finn watching cartoons but beyond that the house was quiet. Once Carole noticed Blaine staring longingly at the stairs she smiled knowingly and crossed to the freezer to pull out Kurt's ice cream. She pulled down a couple of chocolate bars and grabbed two spoons before pressing it all into Blaine's hands.

"Go on. He's going to want empty calories tonight." Blaine smiled in thanks and headed up the stairs. Kurt's bedroom door was surprisingly open. As he peeked cautiously around the empty door frame he saw nothing. So Kurt was either lying on the floor next to his bed, or sitting in his closet under his sweaters.

"Kurt...I have ice cream and chocolate." A thin arm flung up over the side of the bed and flopped to the mattress. Blaine chuckled as Kurt curled his fingers to sign 'gimme'. "Carole gave me two spoons but I'm not sure I want to fight you. I might pull back a nub." He heard Kurt huff just as he circled the bed. Kurt was lying on the floor, curled partly to the side, arm still flung over the bed. He glared halfheartedly at Blaine and nudged him with his foot.

"I am not that mean."

"It's food. Yes you are." Blaine dodges Kurt's kick and sits cross legged in front of him. He smiles wide as he pulls the top off the ice cream and moans when he dips the spoon in. The look on Kurt's face is worth the swat he gets for it. "See, so mean." As he's speaking he lowers the bowl to the ground between them and hands Kurt his spoon. There's a lot of humming and groaning as they scoop through the tub. When Kurt hits a particularly thick vein of sweet raspberry syrup he knocks Blaine's spoon out of the way and hugs the tub to his chest.

"I didn't want him to go away. Neither of us did." Kurt's speaking mostly to his ice cream, twirling his spoon slowly in the melting goop. "I cried non-stop for days. I couldn't sleep. I wouldn't eat. I don't even remember most of it." He drops the spoon into the tub and pushes it away until it rests against Blaine's knee. "There was a car accident. Carson and I were messing around in the back seat. We kept trying to buckle each other up in the same belt. My mom...she...she just took her eyes off the road for a second. Just to tell us to stop." He stops there. There's tears running down his cheeks but he's quiet. Blaine brushes his thumb over Kurt's face and leans in to kiss his nose. He gets a watery chuckle in return.

"When she woke up she didn't remember us. Me and Dad. She remembered Carson though. And for two years she lived with us and...She couldn't remember. To her I was just some monster wearing her baby's face. Dad was just some guy that wanted to take advantage of her. She tried to be nice but..." Kurt chokes and covers his mouth with his hand. His whole face is pink and scrunched up. He's crying in earnest now, the kind of cry that curls back his mouth until his small canines peek out. Blaine sets the ice cream tub aside and lies down with Kurt, tugging him against his chest. He tucks Kurt's face into his neck and rubs soothing circles across his back. "She just left! Two years, we lived like that for two years and then...t-then she left. And she took him away."

It was mind blowing. Kurt had explained his mother's funeral in great detail. But looking back, Kurt always seemed oddly detached about it, like he was describing the weather or an assignment. He also had a rather morbid sense of humor about the whole thing. Blaine just assumed it was a coping mechanism, to each his own and all that. The thought that Kurt's mother was actually alive out there somewhere was almost too much to handle. "And your dad what did he—"

"He thought it was for the best. That it would help her to be away, to work things out in peace. But she never came back. She never remembered _me_." Kurt's voice broke and his body shook. He curled closer into Blaine and closed his eyes.

Blaine didn't know what to say. Kurt had been, well not lying to him, but he'd omitted quite a bit. So much of his life, the important parts. He could understand why. Something like that would be horribly traumatizing. It wasn't something you could share lightly. It still stung. Blaine had been brutally honest about his own family troubles, baring Cooper. And there was the kicker, Cooper. He'd done something similar for far less astounding reasons. He kept Cooper a secret because he was annoying. Kurt hid his family because it was emotionally devastating. On top of that Blaine still had no idea what was going on with Carson now. He was probably hurt or sick. Or Kurt's mother could be moving back to Lima. She could be doing anything really. Just the act of reaching out to Burt and Kurt was enough to cause the tense mood that had descended upon the house. Blaine doubted she remembered Burt and Kurt again. Carole was angry, most likely at being kept in the dark, and sad over whatever was going on with Carson. If the ex-Mrs. Hummel wanted back in the family Carole wouldn't be so put together. Finn had told him a bit about her previous relationships. She was way to calm to be fighting off an old flame.

"Is he okay?"

"He got...struck by lightning. He's okay. Some burns, disorientation. He's scared." Struck by lightning. Whoa. Just, Blaine had trouble processing it. It was such an odd thing to happen. And to survive something like that, what was that even like? Blaine could see it happening, see Kurt's face as it hit, see it surge through his body and wreck him. He pulled Kurt closer and buried his nose in the that thick brown hair. He placed kiss after kiss over his crown, trying to push the image of Kurt's burning body out of his mind. "I want...I want to see him. So, _so_ bad. But she—" Kurt shuddered and took a deep breath. His eyes burned but he tried to hold his tears back. His head was pounding and his chest felt like it was in a vice. He wanted to be done with tears for the day.

It still hurt, even after all this time. Not that it ever stopped hurting. Over the years he developed a morbid sense of humor to cope with the loneliness and betrayal he felt. His mother died that night in the car. The woman in California, the woman who took Carson, was just a monster wearing her face. She was a wreck last he heard. He and Carson didn't get to talk all that often. They tried when they were younger, sending notes back and forth that almost always got returned. She didn't like hearing from Kurt in the early years, still convinced he was some sort of evil changeling baby masquerading as her precious only son. The first time he and Carson managed to call each other she intervened and Kurt listened in shock as she yelled and raged before slamming the phone down. It had frightened him off from trying again. Later they tried e-mails and Skype but it was rare. They were both bitter about how things had turned out and secretly still afraid of what their mother would do if she found out. They knew only the basics about each other like Sheryl's second marriage and second divorce, then her following alcoholism. Carson knew that Kurt had zero friends and that he was the town pariah. They never talked about why.

Sheryl was reluctant to see Kurt even now. Carson said that she understood that Kurt really was her son, that she really had been happily married with twins, but it wasn't enough. The memories just weren't there and now she'd lived longer without those memories than she had with them. Seeing or hearing from Kurt still made her agitated, now more so because of how her life had turned out. The accident hadn't just taken away a picture perfect family. It had taken away a career and a sense of self. Kurt reminded her of all her shortcomings to date. She also thought he stressed out Carson. She thought he was high maintenance and self centered. It wasn't something she wanted to deal with when _her_ son was on his possible death bed. Visiting Clover at this point was not a possibility. Burt was trying his hardest to ware her down; after all he wanted to see Carson as well. Things just weren't falling into place. Carole had been thrown for the loop. Which surprised Kurt. He had honestly thought his father had discussed that with her.

Carole was torn between being angry with Burt for keeping his wife and additional son a secret and Sheryl was picking up on it. She'd made only three phone calls, each as vicious and vaguely incoherent as the last. She was being bitter and petty and Kurt wanted to reach into the phone and hit her just as much as he wanted to hug her. He could understand looking at the shattered remains of your life and cutting up anyone who came close. He just wished she wasn't using Carson's accident as an excuse. It was getting no one anywhere, and fast. Kurt knew instinctively that Carson wanted to see him and that he was frustrated with his mother's childish attitude. It was only a matter of time before Carson high jacked a phone and called Kurt himself, possibly with Sheryl drunk and or passed out in the same room. Kurt had called him after the Karofsky threatened to kill him. They didn't have that twin intuition for feeling each others pain but they were pretty good at guessing each others moves based on personality. Something as big as this couldn't be ignored. It was just impossible to process without at least hearing each other breathe together over the phone.

An actual visit would make Kurt feel a million times better. He knew without a doubt that Burt would let him go whether Sheryl approved or not. But Kurt preferred not to rock the boat. The last thing Kurt wanted was to get into a screaming match with the woman who'd once been his mother. He wouldn't be able to hold it together. He'd say horrible, horrible things that he'd never forgive himself for. Then he would cry like a baby and beg her for comfort. So for now he had to wait it out and hope that Burt and Carson would be able to talk some sense into her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Word Count:** 6,663  
**A/N:** We get to meet Carson and we get some Klaine in this part. Whooo!

Also, thanks to everyone who favorited and is following the story. I'm so excited about it. As of now I'll be updating every Saturday and Wednesday. If that changes I'll let you know.

**Chapter 2**

Being on your figurative death bed had its advantages, namely everyone around you being incredibly accommodating and doting. If he wasn't so loaded up with pain killers he'd take more advantage of it. As it was, he couldn't even properly articulate his displeasure with the food. Mostly he made sad faces and gestured around. His mother was next to useless, she was a laugh if nothing else, but mostly she just sat next to his bed and cried. It was semi-frustrating, waking up periodically to be greeted by the sounds of nasal crying, but better than waking up to no one at all.

His only other visitor was Malerie, who'd come with a self made kitten poster. It was taped up to the television stand. He couldn't make out everything on it but he thought it was suppose to be a cat made out of cats. One was never really sure with Malerie. She had stood at the end of his bed looking vacant and unsettled for three whole minutes until he'd shifted and given her a glimpse of his scar. It was a long, sprawling set of dark pink burns that wound down his body from shoulder to hip, from his wrists, over his right peck, across his ribs and ending with a curling flourish at the beginning of his thigh. The burns looked like unearthed veins or an artistic attempt at a tree root tattoo. It made him look like a hipster. He wished he could have gotten something more devilish out of it, something with character that would make people desperate for a story. Not that he'd give it, but still. He'd survived a lightning strike and all he had to show for it was a drug induced slur and a pseudo-tattoo.

Malerie thought it was attractive and wanted to take photos for the school paper. He was half tempted to let her run it. The low brow heathens would probably take an interest in the paper for the first time in, well ever, because nothing sold like disaster. He dismissed the thought soon after. As much as he wanted to rouse interest in the school paper, he didn't want it to be because he was some kind of freak show statistic. The only person he really wanted to share his story with wasn't even in the same damn state. His brother, his two minute older brother, Kurt was not so safely tucked away in Lima, Ohio with no real way to contact him. His phone had gotten fried in the storm and the hospital phone was about a foot away from his reach. Trying to get out of bed made his body feel like it was burning from the inside out and had him dizzy and sick with pain in a matter of seconds. Borrowing a phone was out of the question since he would have to either ask his mother or Malerie. He could ask one of the nurses for help but they had this annoying habit of only showing up when he was either unconscious or so drugged up he couldn't speak.

When it happened his life didn't flash before his eyes. He didn't feel regret or anger or the hand of God. He just felt pain, white hot searing pain tearing through his body with a vengeance. It was when he woke up that he thought about everything. His mind tried to work a million miles a minute but couldn't. His thoughts were jumbled up and tripping over each other, overlapping and making zero sense. Kurt was the only consistent thing. He knew it was Kurt's voice in his head rather than his own thoughts. He wanted Kurt. They had to talk about this, or see each other, or hear each other breathe, something. Near death experiences weren't something he was familiar with but if the unabashed sobbing at three in the morning were any indication, Kurt was. He just didn't know what to do with himself. He didn't know if his arm would ever move right again or if his brain would crap out on him. He didn't know if he'd have heart problems or nerve damage. He was scared. Honestly fucking scared and he just wanted to talk to his brother about it.

If he wanted to talk to Kurt any time soon he'd have to play it smart. His mom was already on edge because of Neal's pending wedding. If it seemed too much like he wanted Kurt over her she'd go on a self destructive drinking binge and become completely useless. And she'd do everything in her power to keep him from talking to Kurt for at least a month. The best way to go about it would have to be subtlety. He'd have to pretend to call out for Kurt in a drug induced haze. That way he can't be blamed for bringing it up and she can take credit for the idea. Once she feels like she can be useful she'll be more agreeable. It had to work. If it didn't he'd have to go rouge and drag himself into a bathroom to hide. The catheter presented a problem. Many, many problems. Problems he didn't want to think about. So even if he managed to push through the pain there was that keeping him on the bed. And the IV drip. And the heart monitor. And the stupid bed railings he couldn't figure out how to push down. Subterfuge and acting were his best bet.

The very universe must be trying to do him a solid for the whole lightning incident because no sooner had he decided a course of action, his mother could be seen through the window of his hospital room. As swiftly as he was able Carson slumped into the bed and let his head loll to the side. He wanted to pinch his cheeks and pink them up for an innocence factor but he didn't have the time. He made do with forcing out little snuffling noises with his nose, something he hadn't done involuntarily since he was in the single digits.

Sheryl stumbled into the room, exhausted. She blindly tossed her purse into a spare chair and collapsed into the other. With a frown she tugged her robe more tightly around her and crossed her arms tight over her chest and slunk down. She could just make out the childish nasal noises coming from her bed ridden son. Her strong willed, sarcastic, larger than life son. He looked far too tiny lying there in the hospital bed, young and vulnerable. She wondered idly if he felt this way about her when she was passed out drunk somewhere in the house, if he ever felt like a sad and helpless parent. Sadness like this wasn't something she'd dealt with in a long time. For the brief few seconds that she'd been led to believe her baby was dead she'd felt like all the air had been sucked from her body. Her Carson, her precious, bright, dreamer of a son had almost vanished from the Earth in a spark. Trying to live through that, trying to push through the loss of another life and the opportunity for new memories, it was hell.

Back in Ohio she had two people who wanted to be her family, or had. Burt Hummel had moved on to a war widow nurse. She wasn't completely ignorant to her son's occasional chats with Kurt. She gathered enough quiet snippets through closed doors to know Kurt was doing well in school and had a bright future ahead of him. She knew that in a year, less even, she'd lose Carson to New York city and that Kurt would be right along side him. After that she wasn't sure she'd ever see Carson again. She hadn't exactly given him a reason to stay in touch with her. But the whole thing with Burt and his new family bugged her. He got to move on, a hell of a lot later, but still. He moved on, got married and settled down in a quaint two story with a white picket fence and got to be happy. Her train wreck of a marriage to Neal lasted two years and brought her nothing but grief. If they weren't arguing over Carson they were arguing over her "illness", her "accident", and what she so obviously needed to work through. Because God forbid Neal Phillips admit he was in the wrong even a little bit.

The accident should have been old news. It happened when Carson was six and she left Burt when he was eight. Now she was the lady that shopped in her pajamas and sunglasses during the day. She thought with enough time and distance she'd think of them less and less. For a while it worked that way, hence her marriage to Neal. Then as Carson grew up and she grew apart from socially accepted society she started thinking about them more and more. She knew Kurt was really her son. She understood that on a fundamental level. Kurt Hummel had come out of her two minutes before Carson. She'd carried him for nine months in her stomach before that. And for six years she loved and adored him. She'd cared for Kurt and bonded with him more than Carson. Then a Ford pickup truck crashed into her pathetic little compact and erased him. For months she'd suffered under the delusion that he was some sort of alien baby wearing Carson's face, toying with her emotions and sanity for the fun of it. She'd tried so damn hard to get over it, to see Kurt as her baby boy but she couldn't. He was gone. Burt was gone. Her love of musicals and ballet and fashion, it was all gone, vanished into thin air. Carson was the only thing that stuck, the only thing that gave her life purpose and now he was clinging to life in a sterile hospital room.

"Kh..." Sheryl leaned forward and took in her son's face. He was sleeping, probably drugged to the gills. His lips were moving but she couldn't quite make out what he was saying. She tried to scoot her chair closer quietly but she stumbled over the hem of her robe and dropped it. A quick, wide eyed look at Carson showed him to be still asleep. He'd moved though, struggling gently with his heavy limbs. "...urt..." Kurt, that had to be what he was saying. Kurt fucking Hummel. Even in his sleep Carson was on her about him. Well that was just great. Just _great_. She always felt like a royal bitch when she denied him access to Kurt. Always. She just couldn't handle having that kid on her mind. Any guilt she felt over it usually washed away once she found her way to the bottom of a bottle of red wine. That wasn't an option in the hospital. Carson's nurses had made that abundantly clear to her.

She flopped back in her seat and started bouncing her leg up and down, faster and faster in agitation. The right thing to do would be to call Burt, again, and set up a phone call. What she wanted to do was poke and prod at Carson's face until he woke up and scolded her. Then they could bitch back and forth until the nurses came back with more drugs. She could go either way on this really. Carson could be having some dream about them as kids or he could be imagining Kurt murdering him or something like that. Teenagers were crazy these days. They grew up fast and fascinated with horror. It might not even have been Kurt's name. It could have been "hurt". He could be reliving the whole horrible experience and where would that put her if she called Kurt and had him take time away from his busy high school existence to come see someone too drugged out to even appreciate it? It put her somewhere other than mother of the year, that's where. She just wasn't sure if it was closer or farther away from where she was now. That bothered her.

"Kurt." Sheryl crossed her arms and stood, then leaned in close over Carson. "Kurt? Kurt huh? That's what you're thinkin' about kid? Kurt?" She was fidgeting at his bedside, leaning in and stretching out the name in a condescending tone then standing back up and flinging her arms around. "What am I suppose to do Carson? Beg him to come out here? Where would we put him? How would we afford it?" She was being petty. She knew good and well she could just hand over her cell and let Carson have at it. Burt had already shown that he wouldn't ignore her calls. She hadn't spoken to Kurt directly but there was a second when she heard him in the background. His voice was just as high as ever. And what was the deal on that? Carson's voice wasn't that high. Was he lowering it on purpose? Was there something crazy in the water back in Lima?

She huffed and fell back into her chair, her feet propped up on Carson's bed. The phone call wouldn't be enough. Carson would say it was and he'd take it and be thankful. And the second she asked, or told more like, he would hang up and that would be the end of it. Carson wouldn't ask again. But he'd call again. Or Skype or whatever teenagers did now. He'd get all fussy and count the time until he could hear from Kurt and he'd make it a big secret. It made her feel sick, that her kid would go to great lengths to hide something that would make him happy, something he desperately needed and wanted. It wouldn't be enough either. Carson almost died for Christ's sake. That wasn't something you could deal with in a phone call.

It wasn't just Kurt either. Burt would want to come see Carson, something she couldn't really begrudge him for. But she selfishly didn't want to deal with that at all. Burt Hummel with his perfect life and happy family and successful career, he was like a neon lit billboard highlighting how her life had gone to shit in the time that she'd left him. And he would be so very, very polite about it all. As pathetic and selfish as it was, she just didn't want to deal with that. She knew what her life was, what it wasn't. She didn't need a patronizing reminder. Beside her Carson whined pitifully in his sleep and turned his face her way. His hair was flopping in his face and for once he didn't look like a sarcastic little asshole. He looked like the sweet little boy she dragged into her car all those years ago. "Fine. You want Kurt, fine. I'll get you Kurt." Sheryl dug into her ratty robe pocket and fished out her phone. It was an old bulky flip phone with a cracked screen. Dialing Burt's number for the fourth time of the day made her want to pull her fingernails out.

Internally Carson was laughing like a maniac. His half baked plan worked out almost too well. Sheryl was actually taking the initiative to call Burt instead of inching out the suggestion the next time he called to check in. When she'd started taunting him in his feigned sleep he knew she'd eventually cave but he had no idea she'd do it so quickly. The perks of almost dying he supposed. With any luck he'd be able to exploit his new found survivor status to gain leverage with the nearly useless guidance councilor at school. And while he was still firm on not wanting to be a freak show it was worth a shot to try and recruit people for his literary magazine by hinting that just maybe they'd catch glimpses of his scars. Blackmail would work a hell of a lot better but it took work, discreet work. Discretion wasn't something he'd be able to manage if the entire student body was fixated on him. There was only so much Malerie could handle on her own before she aroused suspicion. Attempted blackmail would cause too much of a scandal for him to recover from. They needed to keep things very hush hush, like real world competitive journalism.

A scandal. A scandal like Carson Phillips' long lost gay twin brother showing up. Oh shit. He hadn't thought that far ahead. He and Kurt lived in small hick towns where everyone knew everyone's business. If Kurt came to him or he went to Kurt, either way there would be some massive fall out. In Clover he could tweak it into a Pulitzer worthy story he could tack onto his admissions papers. Not that he wanted it to come to that. He was already enough of a freak and an outcast. His mother too. Thus far he thought they were about as close to rock bottom as they could get. If people suddenly clued into their sordid past and wrecked dysfunctional family his mom would go from being the town drunk to the town crazy. The amount of pity and the number of "well meaning" gossip mongers would skyrocket. On the other hand, if he made it out to Lima Kurt could get seriously hurt. A bunch of knuckle dragging homophobic hicks seeing Kurt's seemingly straight twin would cause nothing but problems for his brother. Worst case scenario someone would start a game of smear the queer to straighten him out.

So he probably should have thought things out a bit more thoroughly. With a groan Carson straightened himself out and stared at the ceiling. "Well fuck." He closed his eyes and wiped down his face then threw his hands down at his sides. They didn't really have the money to house Kurt and Burt which meant that Burt would get a hotel. Which meant they would be all over town showing their faces and fanning flames. Burt, as well meaning as he was, would without a doubt send his mother spiraling into self loathing. Kurt would probably alternate between wanting to please her and wanting to yell at her. He'd be doing more damage control than relaxing. Honestly what was he thinking? What was in his IV drip that made him think a visit would be good? He wanted a phone call. A phone call wasn't too much to ask for. Unless you were Carson Hummel. Then a phone call might as well be an apology from a dictator.

Hopefully his mother would bring it up soon and they could work it out together. He didn't see any future where he and Kurt both came out of this with their privacy. If they talked it out together they could maybe reach some sort of compromise and limit the damage. It wasn't very likely but he could hope. It seems like that's all he really does anymore. Hope and dream and debate whether or not he would actually want to live in an apartment with his brother after college and during the summer breaks in between. It just seemed like their time had passed, in the sense that they couldn't grow up together. College changed things. They'd both be so invested in their careers and their goals and new found freedom that making time for family would just fall to the wayside. They'd tell themselves next weekend or next month or next break and the time would never come. Then after college it was just as easy to say that they had lives now and obligations that they couldn't drop just to fulfill a plan they thought of when they were preteens. There was no doubt in his mind that he'd blow this ridiculous small minded town to try it out with Kurt if they could finish out high school in New York. But to give up Northwestern to live with him? Not gonna happen.

Kurt needed New York in a different way than Carson needed Illinois. Kurt wasn't so focused on his career. He was driven and ambitious, there was no doubt about that. But New York wasn't so much about what he'd do with his future as it was about actually having a future. Nobody really liked him in Clover so he funneled all his attention into his future career and shoving it into their slack jawed faces. In Lima, people _hated_ Kurt, hated him so much they thought he should die. There was no doubt in Carson's mind that Kurt would fight and kick and scream for a job in the arts but it wasn't all about that. It was about New York being a place where he could live without being afraid that every day could end in a violent and bloody death at the hands of close minded rednecks. If Kurt did come all the way out to Clover it would probably be their last chance to really see each other before their lives got in the way. Silver linings he supposed.

There was a quiet click that pulled Carson from his thoughts. It was his doctor shuffling in, nose buried in her clipboard. She was old, like nursing home material old. He couldn't remember who admitted him or worked on his burns when he first came in. The searing pain had him a bit preoccupied. Good God she was old. It was a miracle he woke up at all. Someone with that kind of age was a cough away from killing someone with a scalpel. "Hello Mr. Phillips, how are you feeling today?"

"Like I was struck by lightning yesterday."

She smiled widely at him, revealing pearly white dentures. She nodded and hugged the clipboard to her chest with bony, wrinkled hands. "I'd imagine so. Any pain or confusion? Any blurry vision or unusual numbness?" Carson gave her a deadpan look when she mentioned pain but shook his head to everything else.

"I'm in pain and tired."

"A dull throb or something more sharp?"

"A dull throb all over my side."

She nodded and made a note on her clipboard then set it aside. "Well that's to be expected dear. I'll have a nurse come in and give you a little something if you want it." She slid smoothly into an examination, prodding his burns and flashing lights in his eyes. He was a little disturbed to find out that he couldn't quite feel the tips of his fingers or the back left half of his hand. His eye sight was good and he rattled off the answers to her basic questions with an almost sarcastic ease. She was impressed with his progress if her comically wide smile was anything to go by. "Such a lucky boy."

"The poster boy." His deadpan delivery didn't seem completely lost on her this time because she pressed the button at his bedside for a nurse. She hovered diligently at the foot of his bed until one got there with a vial and syringe. He wasted no time settling himself comfortably in the bed while she measured it out and got it ready. A decent nap was in order if he intended to come up with a solution for his meeting with Kurt. The doctor and nurse were long gone by the time he drifted off.

Finn, as it turned out, was not as oblivious as he seemed to be. He had known something big was going on and that it probably had something to do with Burt's family. The problem with figuring things out was that he didn't actually know any of Burt's family. During the wedding he had stuck to the glee club for the most part or his own family. He'd met Burt's sister Muriel just before the wedding started and it was enough to make him keep his distance. The second problem, and probably the bigger one, was find out why someone in Burt's family would send his mom off into a rage. Or well, like a pissy mood anyways. Everyone had gotten along just fine at the wedding, even Muriel who was drunk through all of it. His mom was acting like she did after Darren left her for the blond chick from Pick and Save.

With the way Kurt was moping around the house and clinging to Blaine it was obvious he knew what was going on and he didn't like it. But asking Kurt would kind of feel like kicking a puppy or dunking a kitten in cold water or something so he didn't bother. Instead he tried to be stealthy, big mistake, and tried to eavesdrop on Burt's phone call. Even bigger mistake. He thought he'd been doing pretty good at the start. He heard a lot of angry muttering from the caller and Burt's tight replies about 'I think it's for the best' which lead Finn to think about vets putting animals down and that was so not what he wanted to focus on. Turns out his success was less about him being discreet and more about Burt being really preoccupied with his conversation. So it was a mild surprise when Burt looked up from the ground, dead straight into Finn's eyes and pointed quietly.

He was not ashamed to admit that he scampered away like a frightened dog. Burt was a scary man. He had anger. When family was involved Burt turned into a vicious fire breathing pit bull with Gatling guns on his shoulders. It was kind of awe inspiring really, when that rage wasn't directed at you. He had waited on pins and needles until Burt came to him and explained what was going on. His wife hadn't died. She'd been in a car accident and lost her memory. Kurt had a twin brother that she did remember and the two of them lived in California. And two days ago Carson got struck by lightning and almost died. It was a lot. Finn felt like he was listening to the plot of one of Ms. Fabray's soap operas. At least his mom's anger seemed justified. It was kind of messed up that he would keep something like that from them but he kind of got it. Just hearing about it made his heart hurt. He couldn't imagine talking about it if he didn't have to. He wasn't a feelings guy and neither was Burt. So yeah, he got it.

Once you got over how weird the whole thing was it was kind of exciting. Kurt had this top secret twin brother from California. A super secret twin that survived being zapped by a mighty bolt of freaking lightning. They probably acted a lot different too because Kurt's mom took Carson because she couldn't remember Kurt. So like by default Carson must be completely different from Kurt. Not that Kurt was like bad or anything but he was really high maintenance and stuff and Carson was probably more like a guys guy. His name had car in it even. Kurt was a theater name so that fit him and yeah. It just worked. Finn was excited to meet Carson and figure out if he was the evil twin or whatever and find out what kind of guy he was. Burt had told him that he and Kurt's mom were still arguing so it'd probably take a while before they worked out a plan but he could wait. Carson almost _died_. That was way big. That was bigger than Sam losing his house, that was Karofsky trying to kill himself big. He'd need time to settle and stop panicking before he'd be up for visitors or travel.

Personally Finn was hoping he'd get to jump on a plane out to California. He'd never heard of Clover before but it wasn't in Ohio is it was somewhere important and more exciting and since he didn't know Carson he'd get to sight see and stuff. The way Burt was talking though, it kind of seemed like Kurt would be the only going. Which blew but family was important, especially to Kurt. What really bothered Finn was that he couldn't tell anybody. He wasn't stupid enough to think Rachel could keep it a secret. If he told Puck he'd probably be able to keep it a secret because he was big on family too, but he wouldn't be able to resist dropping hints. Then Kurt would know he told and it would just blow up in his face and it'd be like dunking kittens. So it had to be a secret.

Through the wall he could hear the scratch of a Beatles record playing Kurt's room. The White Album was Kurt's go to when he was just generally sad about life. It had just the mix of solemn and happy songs on it to keep him from crying at the sad parts or raging at the happy parts. In an effort to show his support he kept his video games down low so Kurt could enjoy his music in peace. They made it all the way down to _Blackbird_ before Finn heard anything else. He halfheartedly charged his guy into the enemy holdout and let himself get shot, then turned to the door. His mom was standing there, leaning into his room but looking towards Kurt's.

"Honey could you go check on Kurt please?"

"He's listening to his album though." Carole frowned at Finn and leaned more heavily on the door. "It's his sad album mom. He doesn't really move when he's listening to it." His mom didn't look impressed. She narrowed her eyes and cocked her head towards Kurt's door.

"Please Finn. I know he's upset and I don't think he wants me in there."

Finn sighed and slowly trudged out of his room and towards Kurt's. With great caution he peeked around the corner and spotted Kurt instantly. He was sprawled out on his stomach in cotton pajamas with one arm dangling off the side of the bed. His face was turned away from the door, towards the record player. Finn nudged the door open and slowly made his way to the bed. Kurt knew he was there, he had this wicked sixth sense about people in his room. He sat down on Kurt's bed, back to his side, and turned a little at the waste to see Kurt better. He raised his hand to pat Kurt's back but stopped at the last minute and let his hand hover there for a few seconds. "Hey man...what's up?" Finn hung his head and hoped for the best. The two of them had plenty of heart to heart talks since their parents got married but Kurt always came to him first. He didn't know how to start these things.

"M'tired...sad." Kurt didn't bother to move before speaking so everything was half muffled by his pillow. He could practically feel Finn's hand hovering over him and was grateful that he had the wherewithal to keep his hands to himself. The only people he wanted touching him right now weren't in the house. No offense to him or Carole, it's just, _touching_.

"Do you want some cake or something?"

Good God did he want cake. He wanted cake and pizza and fried things. He needed comfort food to make up for not having a nice comforting hug to fall into. But he didn't have anything good left in the house. He and Blaine had finished off all the ice cream the night before and as a rule Kurt tried to keep fatty foods out of the house since his father's heart attack. What else could he...peas. He wanted a big steaming bowl of sweet peas and he wanted it now. "Peas."

"Peas? Like the gross little round vegetables?" Finn was frowning and leaning forward, ready to run off and grab whatever Kurt needed.

"Yeah. In the crisper." Finn wasn't sure what a crisper was but he figured it had something to do with the fridge. He didn't know how to fix peas either but his mom was thankfully hovering in the hallway still, eager to help. She looked up at him hopefully and gestured to Kurt's room.

"He wants peas." Carole looked confused but nodded. Kurt had an odd relationship with food that she didn't entirely understand. "He said they're in the crisper?" The upward inflection in his voice at the end had Carole smiling. She didn't think Finn had even gone into the crisper voluntarily or that he even knew what it was. She should probably work on that, but that was something for another day. The peas were in the crisper, the fresh kind still in the pod. She gathered a collonder and a bowl and set up a pot of boiling water. Shelling them went quicker than expected. She'd only ever made canned peas and that was usually on Thanksgiving.

Once the peas were on the boil she leaned against the counter and closed her eyes in thought. She was livid with Burt for keeping his ex-wife and second son a secret. After opening up about Chris' dishonorable discharge and drug use she thought they had no more secrets. Thinking back she'd seen signs. The look on Burt's face when she mentioned the urge to see Chris's face one more time and the way he hesitated when he first started mentioning having _two_ sons. As much as she wanted to storm out of the house she couldn't bring herself to do it. Burt and Kurt were both obviously hurting. And Carson, that poor boy almost died. She couldn't imagine getting a phone call like that. That curbed her anger, it was the Mama Bear in her. But it didn't change the fact that Burt had had plenty of time to come clean about things and chose not to. She didn't want to get a divorce. Burt was a good man and a great father, but he _lied_.

"Mrs. Hummel? Mrs. Hummel are you okay?" Carol looked up, startled. Blaine was standing in the doorway to the kitchen, one hand on the molding, with a concerned look. She was crying, just a little. As quickly as she could she wiped away her tears and let out a forced little laugh.

"I'm fine. It's just been a crazy couple of days." She shuffled around in the kitchen straightening things that didn't need it and stirring the peas. They were close to done but she wasn't sure how to finish them. She felt Blaine's tentative hand pat her arm, seemingly from nowhere. She hadn't heard him come into the kitchen.

"Sweet peas? He's doing worse today then."

"I think I made them wrong."

Blaine smiled sadly and flicked off the burner. "That's okay. Well run some cold water over them." He lifted the pot and drained it then turned on the tap to rinse and cool the peas. He kept his eyes away from Carole's somber face as he worked. "His mom made sweet peas a lot. They're his favorite. But Burt doesn't like them so..." Blaine trailed off as he poured the peas into a red ceramic bowl.

"So Kurt doesn't get them. Peas...such and odd thing for a kid to like. I don't even know if Finn's ever seen a pea up close." Blaine chuckled and picked out a spoon. After it tapered off the two of them stood quietly, trying not to look at each others sad faces. Carole could see that Blaine was itching to go upstairs but too polite to just leave her standing there. "Go on, you don't want them to get cold." She waved him in the direction of the stairs but he still didn't move.

"Is there something I could make you Mrs. Hummel?" He was looking straight at her now, with wide earnest eyes and an open face. It made her chest ache.

"That's alright. You just go up and feed Kurt." She tried to give him a reassuring smile. The way he hesitated at the bottom of the stairs told her she wasn't successful. Carole waited until she heard a door close to let herself cry. She was entitled to it.

Blaine felt horrible for just leaving Carole alone in the kitchen but Kurt did need him. If he was letting someone else make his sweet peas it was definitely serious. His best guess was that Kurt had time to process beyond 'Carson almost died' to 'my mother won't let me see him'. It had to be hard. His own parents, as awkward as they were with him sometimes, genuinely wanted him around. The way Kurt talked about his mother, who she was before the accident, it was clear that to him she'd hung the moon and the stars. The White Album was playing, it was about half way through. Kurt was lying on his stomach looking glum. "I've got sweet peas." Blaine holds the bowl aloft, tempting Kurt to turn. He turns his head to Blaine, face half squished into his pillow. He offers Blaine a small smile but waits until he is climbing up onto the bed to actually sit up.

"When did you get here?" Kurt takes the bowl from Blaine and hugs it to his chest. He wastes no time digging in. The slight and fleeting scrunch in his nose tells Blaine that Carol did indeed overcook the peas. But Kurt keeps eating regardless.

"A few minutes ago." The two of them sit quietly while the album plays out and Kurt eats. Steadily Kurt inches his way into Blaine's side until he's leaning his head on Blaine's shoulder and his bowl is empty. "Do you know if...will you be able to see him?" Kurt sighed and tucked his face into Blaine's neck and twined their fingers together.

"My dad's working it out. She's not saying no to it but she's..."

"Resisting?"

"Yeah. Resisting. I guess Carson asked for me though. So there's that."

Blaine squeezed Kurt's hand and kissed the crown of his head. "Did you think he wouldn't?" He can feel Kurt's frown and instantly nudges Kurt's legs. They push at each other a little until they're wrapped up in each other and Kurt is happier.

"It's not that he wouldn't want to see me it's just...Carson doesn't like to push mom. He tries not to deal with her because, just because. Things get crazy and I think Carson might be a little afraid that she'll regret it." Kurt sighs and places a gentle kiss on Blaine's neck. He doesn't feel like a heated make out session right now but he wouldn't say no to some intense cuddling and sweet necking. Blaine isn't quite getting the picture, obviously still in comforting boyfriend mode. He kisses from Blaine's neck and up to his jaw and closes his lips around Blaine's earlobe.

A shiver goes through Blaine at the sudden onslaught. He wants to roll around with Kurt and press kisses everywhere there's skin but he can't quite get into it yet. He's still stuck on what Kurt said. What would she regret, choosing Carson or moving away? It would be a scary thing to think about and sad too. He wants to hold Kurt tight and shield him from every angry and nasty thing out in the world, which would not only be impossible but unwelcome. So he tries valiantly to ignore Kurt's sweet sucking kisses against his neck and remain a pillar of strength and comfort. The feel of lips and teeth clamping over his earlobe crumble his resolve. It's his ears, always his ears, his greatest weakness. He tried to be strong. Blaine held tighter to Kurt's hand and tried to pull his head away so he could rub noses with Kurt. Then Kurt _sucked_. Well, bathing his boyfriend in kisses could count as emotional support.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Word Count: 4,693

A/N: Things are moving forward. I think this is the last of the short chapters. After this I'm pretty sure they're ten to thirteen pages a piece.

Carson wondered what it felt like to be embarrassed by a kiss. Before the whole Hummel family went to shit he'd gotten plenty of playful kisses from friends and his parents. He'd never been embarrassed by those, not even the ones from Mildred as they were often followed by her making an ass of herself. It drew the attention away. But once they were in California the love went on hold and mom tried but she wasn't physically affectionate. He didn't have any friends that wanted to kiss him or any girls that were crazy and daring enough to plant on one him. They didn't see any other family members anymore and the company he kept now knew better than to touch him much more than a fleeting pat on the arm. He felt vaguely left out, like he was missing some integral part of being a teenager. Your mother was supposed to cuddle you close after an accident and kiss your cheeks and annoy the hell out of you.

Of course it wasn't quite normal for teenagers to know how many glasses of wine it took to make a grown woman think she was a movie star. Or how many glasses after that it took for the same woman to pass out. Carson gave his mom a lot of slack. It wasn't her fault she got into an accident. It wasn't her fault that she lost her memory. It wasn't her fault that her brain told her Kurt was a monster and Burt was a stranger. A lot of things that happened weren't her fault and she deserved to feel like shit about the hand dealt to her. That's why he tried to go with the flow and why he developed a healthy sarcastic wit. Normally he wouldn't be caught dead pinning for motherly love and affection but today wasn't a normal day. He'd been hospitalized for a grand total of three days and was patiently awaiting discharge papers. After which he would go home and sulk around the house with his mother and pointedly try not to beg to see Kurt. Even though he really, really wanted to see Kurt, more than he wanted embarrassing well meaning kisses, and more than he wanted his literary magazine to pick up.

Baring that first phone call during his feigned sleep, he'd yet to hear anything about being able to see his brother. He'd been denied a call to his grandmother as well, which stung more than he thought. Carson couldn't deny that it would be pointless. She couldn't remember who he was when he was standing in front of her and reminding her. But he still loved her, loved hearing her voice, and seeing her smile. Even if she didn't mean to, she'd make him feel better. A phone call though wouldn't really be smart. She'd just get confused and probably upset which would make him feel like an ass. So visiting her would have to wait until he was well enough to go to her. And as much as he was looking forward to it, he was dreading it. The Alzheimer's was already so bad that she had trouble recognizing him as a frequent visitor. Showing up with a vein patterned burn scar peeking out of his neckline and over the palm of his hand wouldn't help her remember. What he would give for a nice comforting hug from his grandmother. It was embarrassing.

"Are you ready to be released young man?" It was that elderly doctor. She had a wide smile on her face and a stack of papers in her hand. It was release forms, prescriptions, and care information.

"I'm very ready." Carson was very, very ready to be out of the hospital. As much as he wanted to avoid spending quality time at home with his mother it was at least a more entertaining prospect than spending the next week watching "Judge Judy" while nurses poked at him. Besides his mother and that one visit from Malerie he'd been alone. It was a blessing he guessed, better than his blackmail victims banding together to come kick him while he was down. He's not quite sure what to expect when he goes back to school. At best he can hope that his near death experience will put them in forgiving moods. He did after all still have all of the blackmail material. If Kurt did end up visiting him that had the potential to gain him even more sympathy. Not that he wanted it to get out. His business was his business, but it was a possibility. It would be idiotic of him to not consider it.

Carson was already dressed, poised and ready to bolt once he got the okay. His doctor insisted however that he needed one more look over. She checked his eyes and the burn along his chest. Then she pressed and prodded along his hand and fingers. He still couldn't feel his pinky and ring finger. She smiled encouragingly at him when he mentioned so. It was pointless. Carson knew he'd never regain feeling there. He was just happy to be able to move them. She babbled on and on about being aware of his body. He needed to note any numbness along his side. He needed to log any headaches and their duration. He needed to wear his glasses constantly to ensure any blurry vision is a result of the accident and not just naturally poor eyesight. And last but not least, he needed to be hyper aware of his non-feeling fingers. Any injuries there wouldn't be noticed until he actually saw them.

"I can leave now?"

"Where's your mother dear?"

Carson was about to open his mouth and list a whole host of likely places other than the hospital when his mother showed up in his doorway. "Right here doc. He's good to go?" She was sans bathrobe for once. She didn't look like she'd been drinking either. Small miracles that.

"Yes, right as...rain." The doctor trailed off with an awkward laugh and handed over his papers. His mother flipped through them and brought the prescriptions to the front while Carson scoffed and marched out of the room. He didn't wait for his mom to catch up or for the nurse standing by with the wheelchair. He'd run out if he had to. They'd given him a nice parting shot of something good and he was feeling bold. He pulled his sleeve down over his arm band and slowed himself to a casual stroll once he was out of his mom's line of sight. No one stopped him.

Outside was nice. It was bright and breezy, not a cloud in sight. His mom had driven his convertible to the hospital. He could see it in the far corner of the lot. There's a few people milling around the lot and a few nurses leaning against the wall smoking. He hadn't even realized he'd been prepared for an angry mob of teenagers until he felt relief at seeing none. It was entirely possible that nobody knew that he was getting out today or that they did know and they were waiting at his house. He couldn't see what they would gain from harassing him. Malerie still had copies of all of the blackmail materials and he had his own hidden at home. And he could play up his injuries and make himself into a helpless victim. But he was getting ahead of himself. No one wants to rock the boat. It's why he got so far with Clovergate to begin with.

There was a rush of cool air behind him then his mother was brushing past him with a wry smile and a handful of papers. "Let's get this show on the road." Now it made sense. They had to go to the pharmacy. She couldn't claim that she was a put together person with any confidence and honesty but she could play up the grieving mother now if she wanted. If nothing else it would get the perky Miss Future Ex-Phillips to lay off for a while. Carson strode past his mother and climbed into the front passenger seat. He looked all around his car to make sure everything was in the place he left it, then unbuckled the hood and pushed it back part of the way. "Really Carson?"

"I almost died mom. I want to see sunlight."

"You can see it through the window."

"I'd like to see it everywhere." He took a leaf out of Kurt's book and pouted instead of looking defensive. He didn't try that very often because it was pretty hit of miss but he tilted his shoulder just so to show off the tip of his scar. He tries his best to make his eyes big and watery behind his glasses but he has no real idea what he's doing. They stare at each other for a few seconds then she throws papers into the front seat and stomps off to pull back the roof. She mutters angrily and yanks more than she has to but Carson didn't look too much into it. If she didn't feel like doing it she wouldn't have done it.

Sheryl hurries back to the front seat and slams the door behind her, then leans to the side haughtily with a raised eyebrow. "Happy now?"

"Extremely." His deadpan delivery puts a smile on her face. They look at each other for a few minutes, just taking each other in with fondness. For all of her problems she was still a good person, not the best mother but she'd chosen him, remembered him, and that meant something. She's thinking along the same lines. For all of Carson's sass and brashness he's a good kid. He gets good grades and makes sure she gets the bills paid. As far as her life had fallen she still couldn't imagine living back in Lima. It was her and Carson against the world. At least for a little while longer.

Their moment was ruined by a hacking man off to their side. He hocks and spits and greenish wad onto the asphalt and effectively ends their train of thought. Carson pulls together his medical papers and shoves them into his glove box then lowers his seat so he can thoroughly enjoy the ride. His mom is quiet beside him and they take every back road between the hospital and the pharmacy. The feel of the sun against his face and the wind rushing at him is good. He feels the most alive he has in days, finally free from the stifling hospital room. He lets his mind empty and just enjoys being outside. If he tries hard enough he can pretend that he's getting a ride out of Clover. It feels good. He's not going to chalk it up to a new lease on life. If he had died everything would have gone back to the status quot. Being alive just means he can continue on the path he's already on. Right now it's just peaceful. He's got a good high going on with the pain meds and the air is crisp and smells like grass. The sun is bright and the radio isn't blasting top forty. Until he can get the hell out of Clover he lives for little moments like these.

When the car rolls to a stop Carson doesn't even try to get out. He blindly reaches into the glove box and hands his mother the papers then settles back into his seat. He pulls his glasses off and tucks them into the door and hums. His face is still turned up to catch the sun. Hopefully if he stays in the car with his eyes closed he'll look pathetic enough to ward off nosy gossip mongers. It's largely successful. The few people who pass by are content to just gawk at him from afar. It's a slow day with most people at church or at home watching football. Malerie will have to e-mail him her progress for the week so he can get on next week's issue of the paper. There's not much to report but he can't let it slip. If he can show Northwestern that he worked through an incident as graphic and rare as this he'll get the edge. The loss of feeling in two fingers might affect his typing rate but he doubts it. He hasn't noticed any loss in mobility. Once he'd noticed the loss in feeling he started moving them around like crazy, fascinated by the strange sensation of watching something happen to himself that he couldn't feel.

Inside the drug store Sheryl makes her way to the pharmacy counter with purpose. April is there, watching her stride up with wide eyes. Sheryl knows April's going to try to make a big deal about the whole thing. Because she _cares_. It makes her want to gag. Of course she cares, she cares about everyone. She's a bleeding heart Care Bear of a woman. And with Carson being the ex-stepson of her new beau there's no doubt she feels something. But it's not real concern. Not like what she feels as a mother. But she'll pretend it is. She'll play up her small amount of expected concern like she's some Mother Teresa who's far more willing and capable of taking care of Carson than his own drunken train wreck of a mother. Sheryl's not going to let that happen. She's the boss in all of this. She's going to take care of her son on her own.

Sheryl slaps the prescriptions down onto the counter and slides them across to Little Miss Innocent April. She just stands there for a moment with wide sad eyes then tries to reach out and take Sheryl's hand. It falls flat. Sheryl pulls back points down at the prescriptions. "My son needs those as soon as possible."

"Ms. Philips I'm so sorry for—"

"How about doing your job instead of feeling sorry." April looks like a wounded puppy at the remark but takes the slips and looks them over. She fills in all the paperwork on the computer then tells her they'll have everything ready in half an hour. Sheryl wants to say something else. She wants April to say something too so they can have a proper bitch fight but she doesn't bite. It'll have to wait until she comes to get the medication later. As she turns to leave her feet carry her to the alcohol but she stops. April is still watching her. She still has that sad little frown on her face. So Sheryl goes farther down the aisle and picks up a two liter of diet Coke and a two liter of Dr. Pepper then walks as casually as she can to the register. The cashier stares at her too. He's a scrawny red faced teenager so there's no doubt he goes to school with Carson. He's probably dying to ask her if there are scars or permanent damage but Sheryl won't give him the satisfaction. It's none of their business. Not April's, not this punk kid, not the three people scattered around behind her staring.

A little voice in the back of her head tells her it's Kurt's business. She wants to find the owner of that little voice and strangle it. Her, technically biological, other son does deserve to know what's going on. It pains her deeply to admit it but Kurt would probably be good for Carson. She gathered, very reluctantly, that Kurt was doing well in school and tended to believe the best in people. It made her wonder what the hell Burt was doing over there in Lima. It seemed impossible that the prissy, so obviously gay, little boy she left behind would turn out to be anything other than a complete evil bitch after growing up around Lima's finest. But he was apparently a shining beacon of light in an otherwise dismal town. Or so she'd been lead to believe.

The cashier was so distracted by her that he fumbled with the money and knocked over her sodas before handing them over. Normally she'd snipe at him but she was lost in thought. She really had no clue about what kind of life Kurt lived after she left. They had more money than her so Kurt probably didn't want for things like Carson sometimes did. And Burt's remarriage meant he had a shiny new mother to bond with, and a whole new brother. She knew things weren't perfect there. It was _Lima_. Your life wasn't perfect unless you were a rich white male with a truck and a trophy wife. Sheryl made her way out of the store and watched Carson try to nap in the front seat. Their life sucked. They had barely any money, no support system, and she had no prospects for a brighter future. Yeah a lot of it was her fault. But she felt entitled. Her life got torn to shreds. She became a stranger in her own body and home. She had to crush the hopes and dreams of a smiling little boy to get some peace. Her son almost died in a school parking lot. Burt should have been tripping all over himself to make her feel better about her situation and he hadn't. He'd given no leeway, doing no more than acknowledging that she'd had a difficult life. Burt fit in so well with Lima's definition of a success she could barely understand it. As she got into the car and took in Carson's face, relaxed and innocent looking, she knew why. It was Kurt. Lima must have really put him through it since she left.

"I got you diet Coke." Carson hums at her in thanks and rolls his head in her direction. She's struck with the sudden urge to poke his face, so she does. Carson grunts and turns away from her with a sneer but she pays it no mind. It's fun to wind him up. With him looking away Sheryl can try to picture Kurt sitting there. He'd probably be softer looking, more refined than Carson. She tried to think of him as a model and got the strange image of Carson stalking down a runway with a scowl on his face. But that faded away as quickly as it came and was replaced by something worse. All she could think of now was Carson's face covered in bruises and blood.

To get it out of her head she starts the car and peels out of the parking lot as fast as she can. Beside her Carson is yelling at her to be careful with his baby. Wrong thing to say, because she wasn't very careful with her babies was she? She couldn't suck it up and stay in Lima. She couldn't send cards or write letters. She couldn't pull herself out of the bottle long enough to be an active participant in Carson's life. She was a beat up junker of a car scraping across the pavement and waiting to die. The only way to do some good at this point would be to let Kurt come out for a visit. She didn't want to. God, how she didn't want to. She didn't want a living breathing reminder from her past walking around in her home sneering at stuff. She also didn't want to look at Kurt's face and see a heartbroken little boy yearning for a mother. But this wasn't about her. It was about Carson. Carson wore the pants in their family. Carson got things done. Carson almost died. And Carson wanted to see his brother. So he was going to, even if it killed her. She wasn't going to invite Burt though. There was only so much selflessness she could handle in a day.

Once they got to the house she helped hoist Carson out of the car and onto the couch. The full affect of the pain killers had kicked in some time in the parking lot of the pharmacy. She had him lying down and comfortable in no time. The trick to the couch was to turn at the hip and pull up your knees just so. He tried to say thanks or he tried to criticize her, it was hard to tell with his face squished into the cushions. With that done she went back outside and took a seat on her porch steps so she could call Burt. The sooner they got this thing in motion the sooner she could mention it to Carson and play up the good mother card.

The phone didn't ring for long. From what she remembered of Burt it would be just like him to be holding his cell at all times in the event of a crisis. He knew she'd cave, even though he hadn't said anything. The calm and sure way he argued Kurt's case told her he knew it. Because he obviously knew her _so well_. "Hey."

"Hey." For a moment Sheryl just chewed on her lip and fiddled with the hem of her shirt. They both knew what this was about. Why couldn't Burt just come out and make a suggestion so she could save face?

"When can he come out?"

"He?"

"Yeah, as in just him. When can he come out?"

"Do you remember his name?"

"Of course I do. I spent two years yelling it before I left." On the other end of the line Burt snorted. It was followed by a muffled thunk. He'd kicked something most likely. She didn't want to play this game. She was extending the olive branch and she damn well expected him to take it. She didn't want to jump through hoops to gain his approval.

"Humor me. You wanna talk about him you act like you know who he is."

"Fine! When can Kurt come out? Carson wants to see him and it won't break the bank to keep him for a few days."

"Money's not a problem Sheryl. I can send him with a card and some cash. I wouldn't put you out at a time like this." Burt makes it so hard for her to hate him. He's always been a good guy. After her accident he didn't ask to sleep in the same bed as her, he didn't get affectionate at her request, and he let her take Carson with minimal fuss. She'd left him with the impression that she'd come back some time soon but he let it go. He must have known. She hadn't exactly been subtle about her intent. And now he wasn't even asking about when he'd get to visit. He just assumed he'd be unwelcome and didn't push. It's moments like these when she regrets leaving him. If she had pushed aside her fear of Kurt and gotten proper counseling she could have been sitting pretty in Lima with a loving husband and a kid that didn't resent her.

"You gonna send him alone?"

"Alone...it's not that I don't trust him. He's a real responsible kid it's just...I don't think he'd be able to hold it together too well." Burt sighs and Sheryl can just picture him scratching the back of his neck and looking down at his toes.

"I'm not gonna yell at him Burt. Carson wouldn't let me."

"Its not just you Sheryl. He's been going through it here. It's better than last year. Dear God, last year was...but that's just...he won't act like there's a problem even if there is one."

"Then send someone with him."

"I don't have anyone to send. Mildred can't take care of herself let alone Kurt. Carole can't take off and Finn. I love the kid but he doesn't have the best track record with handling Kurt. And like hell I'm asking his boyfriend to go with him." So he did have a boyfriend. That was surprising. Not that he was gay, but that he actually found somebody. Besides that, they still had a problem on their hands. She was either going to have to wrangle Burt into letting Kurt come solo or they'd have to figure out who can ride with him. It'd be easiest on her if someone came along to keep Kurt busy but it wasn't looking like that was possible. Burt cycled through a list of close family friends and dismissed them all for one reason or another. They weren't touching the subject of Burt coming himself. It was the obvious solution she didn't want and Burt was tactful enough to ignore it.

"You workin' Sheryl?" Burt sounded tentative and hopeful. She knew where this was going. He wanted her and Carson to pack up and take a short vacation in the middle of nowhere Ohio. The Sheryl of last week would have laughed her ass off into the phone then followed it by a "fuck you". But the Sheryl of today had a little restraint. It would be a personal kind of hell to walk into the happy Hummel home and pretend they didn't all want to attack each other and cry. But she wasn't working. She didn't have anywhere to be and Carson had a free pass through the end of the month to be out of school. It'd be much easier for them to go to Kurt than the other way around. Then after they could high tail it back and not have to deal with the fallout. She'd be way out of the way of April's pitying looks and Neal's mocking judgment.

"Not at the moment."

"You could come out here. I'd send you tickets."

"Look Burt, nice as that sounds I don't want to play Brady Bunch with you and you're new family."

"Now come on Sheryl. Kurt and I both wanna see Carson and I wouldn't mind seein' you after all this time. I never stopped worrying about you."

"Wouldn't that make your new wife jealous?"

"Carole knows I love her. She's sore at me for not saying anything about you and Carson but we'll get through it. We talk. We've made it through crisis before." Crisis, like some other marital catastrophe. Sheryl fought the urge to cling to the tidbit and dig. Now wasn't the time.

"I still don't want to stay at—"

"We can put you up in a hotel. Lima's cheap for that kind of thing." You would know, goes unsaid. She spent quite a few nights in run down motels hiding from her supposed family before she finally left. "It'd mean a lot to the boys. They're growin' up Sheryl. You think the two of them are going to get an apartment together somewhere after they graduate? The two of them could barely manage sleeping in the same room as kids. They drove each other crazy. And you can't tell me they have similar interests in careers. They're gonna go their separate ways whether they like it or not. Kurt's not ready to accept that because he hasn't seen Carson in nearly a decade."

"Isn't this suppose to be about Carson and his brush with death?"

"You think Kurt hasn't had his near misses? I didn't call you because Kurt didn't end up in a hospital."

"Then how bad could it have been?"

"If I get a call it's not going to be from the hospital Sheryl. It's going to be from the morgue. Kurt wants to see the best in people because they only show him the worst. This will be good for both of them."

"I want food waiting for us when we get off the plane." She didn't wait for a reply. She hung up her phone and hurried to Carson's car. She'd have to pick up a suitcase before she got the medication. She didn't consider Lima a vacation but it could be a break. If things go too south she could always ride up to Columbus and let Carson decide if he wanted to finish out his stay with Burt or with her.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Rating: PG-13

Word Count (this section): 5,622

A/N: This story is getting a pretty decent following and I'd like to thank everyone who's sticking with it. I know it's starting kind of slow but there's action and friction coming I swear.

Also, I wasn't aware my page breaks weren't showing up here on ff. So if there's funky transitions in the first three chapters, that's what it is. From now on I'll make my ff transitions letters instead of symbols.

LINEBREAK

"Kurt, we've got to talk." This is something he's always wanted. It killed him to see his little boy disappear into the night with his high school sweetheart. If Sheryl actually followed through with this it might be the last time he actually gets to see Carson. He wants it to happen but he does have to consider the rest of his family. If Carole and Finn don't want Sheryl around they'll have to work something out for Columbus or find someone to go with Kurt. Then there's the fact that Kurt might not even want Sheryl in Lima, in his home. There's so few places here where Kurt can feel safe and he doesn't want to ruin his home for a week. There's also Sam to think about. He's due back late tonight and is still out of the loop about the whole thing. Burt's not going to kick the kid out but Sam might want to stay with Rachel for the week to avoid the whole mess of awkward.

"Dad?" Kurt comes around the corner, hugging himself and looking small. He expects the worse. He knows his dad won't let him go out to California alone and there's not anyone around to take him. The thought that Sheryl and Carson would come to him doesn't even cross his mind. Burt gesture's to the couch and they both go over to it. Kurt huddles into Burt's side and takes comfort in the wide calloused hand on his shoulder.

"I've talked it over with Sheryl. It's not really possible for you to go all the way out there." For a moment Kurt's heart drops into his stomach. Knowing logically that he couldn't go see Carson was such a different feeling from having it confirmed by his father. "Now don't go getting all upset. We talked. You'll be proud of me, no yelling." Kurt smiles a little and nudges his father with his leg. "We worked out a deal. I buy the tickets and put them up in a hotel and they'll come here." Burt can feel Kurt's whole body tense next to him. "She said we better greet them with food. You think we should bring a pan of pasta or a couple of pizzas?"

"Pizza, just this once." Kurt keeps his voice calm but inside he's a wreck. His heart and mind are racing a million miles an hour. He never considered, never even dreamed of considering, that Carson and Sheryl would come back to Lima for anything. But they're coming. He's going to see them both again and he's going to be able to reach out and touch his brother. It's the one thing he's wished for over and over again since he was eight and it was finally happening. "When are they coming?"

"I still have to book the tickets, but I'm hoping they'll be here before the end of the week."

"This week. They're coming this week."

Burt squeezed Kurt's shoulder and pulled him closer into his side. "Calm down Kurt. Sheryl ain't coming all the way down here to cause problems. And they'll be staying at a hotel. The minute you don't want them here you say the word and they leave."

"It's not...I..." Kurt doesn't know what to say. It's not that he doesn't want to see his mom, it's that he knows how much it's going to _hurt_. After all this time she still doesn't consider him a son or even someone she can trust. His brief, infrequent talks with Carson are more than enough to evidence that. He wants to see them both, hug them both, and talk with them. But it's not going to be a happy family reunion. It's going to be hard and ugly. His mother is dead and the woman who lives in her body now isn't going to play nice. Kurt knows he's going to slip up and see them all sitting together in the living room and think 'this is the family I could have had'. He's going to imagine a life with Sheryl as an active participant and that isn't fair to Carole or Finn. They've had their ups and downs but they're family now. What he had as a child is gone. One little visit isn't going to change that. But it won't stop his mind from romanticizing it. "I'm going to take a nap."

Kurt shrugged out from under his father and kissed his temple, then slowly made his way to his room. The door to Sam's temporary bedroom was open. He'd completely forgotten about Sam in all of this. He was spending the weekend in Tennessee and he was due back late tonight. They'd have to sit him down and talk with him. Even though Sheryl and Carson would be at a hotel things were still tense at the house. Kurt had seen the hurt on Carole's face plain as day. Sam might not want to be around all that. And if that were the case he'd be staying with Rachel. And if that happened all of Lima would know about Carson and Sheryl coming back. Kurt hurried away from Sam's room, past Finn's, and thew himself onto his bed.

Most kids didn't remember Carson. Kurt had gone to a small school for special needs children. His childhood doctors thought he had autism and Briar Academy had been the best choice for him. Carson joined him out of solidarity. He stayed there after the accident then rejoined the normal populace for middle school. The masses generally assumed that he'd been home schooled, or there was Azimio's theory that he'd been held in a special rehabilitation school for gay kids and they let him go when their efforts turned out fruitless. It was by far his most thought out insult and Kurt was begrudgingly impressed that he'd put in such thought. Kurt and Carson had kept to themselves as kids. They had a playground set in their backyard and they often met at their friend's houses for play dates rather than running off together in the park. The memory of Carson just melted away into nothing as most of the kids grew up.

It was the adults that would remember. It had been such a scandal. For every person that came by and gave their condolences and offered support, there were three people telling Burt that it was a warning from God. Burt still thinks Kurt was too young to remember the hateful, nasty things people said about him, about his sexual orientation and how it had affected his mother. There were people who still thought she had been drunk at the wheel or that she'd done it on purpose to dispose of him so she could start over with a better family. It was sickening. It was another glaring example of why he didn't like religion. Once Sheryl and Carson popped back up in town the rumors and nasty remarks would start back up all over again.

He hadn't thought about that downstairs. People would eat it up like starving dogs. The news of Sheryl's return would be the biggest news to hit Lima since that Taco Bell went up on Allentown Road. Kurt could practically see the tragic headline on Jacob Ben Israel's blog now, 'Brain Damaged Mom Returns With Living Statistic in Tow' or 'Carson Hummel: Friend or Fag?'. It made him want to gag. And now with his dad remarried Carole would be getting a lot of negative attention as well. There will be no shortage of people turning their nose down at her for not 'knowing her man' better. Then there would be people offering up fake comfort in her time of need in order to dig up good gossip. Kurt had faith that she could handle herself, he just wished it wasn't necessary. Damage control would be essential to them all getting through this.

Downstairs, Burt was debating on whether or not to go ahead and call the Berry family. Maybe he was getting ahead of himself with the whole Sam thing, but he swore he'd take good care of the kid while he was in Lima and he wanted to have all his bases covered. If Sam didn't want to stay with them during all of this then he wouldn't have to. If the Berry's couldn't take him then he'd ask the Abram's or Pierce's to take him in. He didn't have any intention of sending the kid to another hotel for the week. That boy lived in those for way too long. Sam was a pretty laid back kid though, when he wasn't focusing on his weight. It was entirely possible that Sam would just go with the flow and be just as eager to meet Carson as Finn. But just in case, he decided to go ahead and make some calls.

"Hello, Berry residence, Leroy speaking."

"Uh, hey Leroy it's Burt."

"Is everything alright with you guys? Rachel mentioned Finn was acting a little withdrawn the other day."

"Oh uh...you remember my ex? You two worked—"

"Across the street from each other, yes. It was such a tragedy what happened."

Burt took a deep breath and rubbed across his eyes and nose. "Yeah, yeah it was. But uh...Carson had an accident. He got struck by lightning. He's okay but he's pretty shaken up and he wanted to see Kurt so..."

"I see. I'm sorry to hear about the accident."

"Thanks. I'm actually calling because I might need a favor. We haven't told Sam yet that they're coming down, or that they even you know...exist so...well we just don't know how he's going to feel about all of it."

"If he's uncomfortable with the situation he's more than welcome to stay with us."

"Don't you got to talk that over with your husband?"

"Hiram would never turn down a chance to have over one of Rachel's friends." Yeah, Burt gets that. He was so shocked when Kurt mentioned he had friends he was willing to throw him a wild party if he'd wanted it. Rachel was pretty abrasive, he couldn't picture her dragging home friends all throughout her childhood.

"Good, that's good. I'll have a talk with Sam and call you back."

"Burt."

"Yeah?"

"If Kurt needs anything, anything at all, during this he can call us. Any time day or night and we'll pick up. Sometimes kids just need an adult that's not dad...we're very fond of him and well..."

"Thanks Leroy. I'll let Kurt know." Burt could hear Leroy on the other end of the line, hesitating to say something else. He wasn't sure he wanted to hear whatever it was so he muttered a quick 'bye' and hung up before it could go anywhere else. That was one hurdle down. The next was to book tickets and a hotel. After that he'd tackle telling Carole what was going on. And if that wouldn't be the hardest part of the coming days he'd shoot himself in the foot. He'd made his peace with Sheryl. He'd handled the whole situation wrong in regards to Carole though. He had wanted their marriage to be a clean slate and after years of telling himself his wife was dead it was hard to wake up and remember that she actually wasn't. Keeping it a big secret from Carole hadn't been his intention. It had just happened that way.

He wanted to kick himself. He'd let himself believe that the past was the past and not only had he hurt Carole and Finn, he'd disrespected his son. He tried so damn hard to keep Kurt safe and happy that he got overwhelmed. Just dealing with him and his bullies was like raising two kids. Then he'd started dating and saw Finn, the all American poster teen and he'd got swept up. It wasn't just that Finn was the kind of son he imagined, it was that Finn was the kind of son Carson could have been. Burt got a little taste of what it would've been like to have stayed with Sheryl. Not saying anything about him was like admitting he didn't want him around. Which wasn't true. God, it was so damn far from the truth. There wasn't a single day when Burt didn't miss Carson's smile, his presence. He tried to see it in Kurt but it wasn't right. Even as little kids the two of them had obvious differences. They had similar traits, they were twins, but they had things that made them so different from each other it was impossible not to know who you were looking at.

Now he had no idea who Carson was. Sheryl said he was a cynical little tyrant and he could see where that might be a possibility. Kurt and Carson, if nothing else, had shared their gift for snark and sass. But he didn't want to believe his kid was a bully. He'd raised Carson better than that. Well, he'd started to raise Carson better. There was no real way of telling what Sheryl had done. She'd told him that Carson was driven and dead set on going to a certain college but she didn't say which one. She didn't tell him what his major was going to be or what hobbies he had. There wasn't much for him to go on. The things he liked as a kid could only take him so far. He knew that Kurt and Carson sometimes talked to each other and that they'd Skyped once or twice in the dead of night. He could talk with Kurt but that didn't feel right. It was already shameful enough that he didn't know what his own kid liked, the least he could do was figure it out by talking to him directly about it.

Burt's mind grew more sour the longer he sat. There was no guarantee that Carson would even want to talk to him. As far as he knew, Carson had only asked to see Kurt. When they were kids Carson had gotten along better with him but he wasn't really around all that much. His business was just starting to take off and he worked long hours at the garage checking the books and inventory and double checking all the money going in and out. Most nights he saw them at dinner then tucked them in at night. That's why they started Friday night dinners as a tradition. He made sure to walk through the door every Friday at five thirty. Then he spent some quality time with his sons. After that they ate together and talked about everything. Then he wrangled the two of them up and tucked them into bed. It was harder after the accident. Talking around the table was a struggle because Sheryl wanted nothing to do with Kurt and Kurt wanted desperately for everything to go back to normal. Carson had taken it pretty hard considering. He'd lobbied left and right for his mom to accept Kurt as her son with no success.

In the end, just before Sheryl left for good, Carson resigned himself to it. He was a perceptive kid, they both were, but Kurt had so much hope. Carson knew though that it wouldn't be okay. He'd spent the whole week before he left clinging to Kurt and giving his mom the cold shoulder. Burt felt vindicated by the whole thing. There was a small sliver of hope that week that Sheryl would cave and decide to just move across down instead of across the country. But she was strong willed and single minded. It wasn't very hard after that to decide on a funeral. Kurt's school councilor suggested it. She told him that it would give him closure and help him jump start the grieving process. And it worked. Kurt put on his best suit and handled the whole thing like a champ. He started talking again and came around to the idea of living only with Burt. All the guys from the garage had been supportive and offered Kurt a listening ear whenever it was needed. They put up with his obsessive bedazzling and constant questions about every single part of every car.

With time they just became a family. Time healed and they moved on. Now Sheryl and Carson could be the figurative ghosts from his past come to wreck his new marriage. Well not so much Carson, Carole was in firm mother mode with him because of the accident. But Sheryl was sure to make her digs. He got that her life didn't turn out all that great. He'd gotten the better end of the deal, besides the obvious, because he owned a business. Now he had a blended family and he was a member of congress. By comparison Sheryl's life down right sucked. That wasn't something she'd let go. The woman she'd been before, the woman he married, would be happy for him. She'd give her blessings and try to be friends with Carole. The woman she became? She'd snark and tear at everything they had until it was joyless, because she needed everyone to feel the way she felt about herself.

If Burt still had hair he'd be tearing it out right now. He needed to move on to more productive things, like booking plane tickets. He left the living room and made himself comfortable at the kitchen counter with Kurt's laptop. When he opened it there was a picture of Blaine opened up. He was making a fish face for the camera and his hair was a flyaway mess. He was fully clothed but he was lying on a bed. Burt's finger itched to click on the arrow button so he could search through the whole folder but he held himself back. He could invade Kurt's privacy and protect his virtue later when he wasn't on the verge of a crisis situation.

By now he was a pro with plane tickets. He navigated the sites with ease and knew exactly what to fill out. He could do it with his eyes closed he was sure. They'd board tomorrow afternoon and get into Columbus just before three o'clock. It didn't give him much time to settle Carole into the idea but it had to be done. If he waited too long Sheryl could change her mind and he may never get to see Carson again. He'd keep Kurt home from school and he'd offer to let Finn stay too. He wouldn't subject Finn to the long drive to and from Columbus though. Carson might be agreeable on drugs but Sheryl suffering from cabin fever in a cramped car was a recipe for misery. If Finn stayed home he could be a rock for his mom to hold onto. It would also give him and Kurt time with Carson and Sheryl right off the bat so they could test the waters.

The hotel was a little harder to book. He wanted something close so they didn't waste a lot of time and gas for visits but he didn't want something in the heart of Lima. Privacy at this point would be wishful thinking but he didn't want either of them mobbed by busy bodies. That left a whole range of seedy hotels and motels that were most often used by drunks and hookers. The Comfort Inn on Neubrecht Road had the best reviews for the price range. It was the only place that didn't mention bugs or nosy maids so that was the winner. He booked a room with two bed and left a note to the maids to stock extra blankets. Carson, just like Kurt, got really cold at night. One thin hotel blanket wouldn't be enough. With that done all he had left to do was call Sheryl with the details, the sooner the better. But he wasn't looking forward to it. It was still in the cards for her to take it all back and decide to stay. He really didn't want Kurt out there all by himself but if came to that he'd let Kurt go.

Tomorrow was going to be unbelievable. It'd be a nearly two hour drive up to Columbus. Then they'd have to fight through the airport traffic. Then they would have the unavoidable awkward few minutes where everyone just stared at each other and he and Kurt cried. Sometime before that they'd have to make time to order and pick up pizza. They'd either eat it in the parking lot or on the drive. The hard part would be the drive back. They'd have nothing to keep them occupied but the radio. He doubted any serious conversation would happen. He expected some questions about his work and Carole. Carson would probably dose in and out so it'd be up to him to keep the peace. Kurt was going to be beside himself with sadness and worry so it'd be best to let him take the backseat. Somewhere in there they'd have to mention Sam too. He hoped to God Sheryl had enough tact left in her to not mock the poor kid.

It was getting near to be near four o'clock. Had he really been sitting here that long? Time just flew when you were trying to plan a disaster. He really couldn't put off calling Sheryl any longer. She needed time to pack and make calls. With a heavy sigh Burt closed the computer and pushed it away from him. Sheryl's number was in his phone under her name. It was really a wonder that Carole had never seen it and asked questions before. It showed how much she trusted him to be loyal and honest with her. Pushing the guilt aside, Burt called Sheryl.

"Don't argue with me! Just sc—just SCAN it! I—hold on. Burt give me a minute." After that it devolved into muffled arguing and clanking noises. Then there was the sound of a beep. "Because being a cashier is _so hard_. Get over yourself. Yeah?" It took a few seconds for Burt to answer.

"I got your tickets. Just pick them up at Fresno Yosemite International. They're under your name and all paid for. Your take off a little before noon and you should get in around three."

"Hotel?"

"Comfort Inn on Neubrecht."

She grunted but the dragging noise Burt heard meant it could have just been exertion. "You gonna bring food?"

"We're gonna order some pizzas."

"We huh? The whole family coming out to gawk?"

"No Sheryl, just me and Kurt. I think you can handle that."

"Are we going to meet the rest of the Brady Bunch?"

"I'm trying to be nice Sheryl, don't tempt me."

"Carson likes banana peppers and bacon." Then she hung up without so much as a goodbye. Burt still counted it as progress though. And on top of, Burt knew an extra little something about his son. Kurt liked mushrooms and ham best but he was willing to compromise with Finn on spicy sausage. Sheryl hadn't said otherwise so he'd just pick up her usual bacon. Her and Carson could share and he'd share with Kurt. Tomorrow evening he would be eating pizza across from his ex-wife and estranged son. He could feel a headache coming on. A nap sounded real good about now but Sam was due home soon. Carole would be home shortly after him. It wouldn't be right for him to stumble around the house unaware of everything. So he couldn't take a nap. A beer was the next best thing but all they had in the fridge was light and that was about as appealing as bacon wrapped in vegetables so that was out. History channel it was then. He could at least watch something fun and exciting without Kurt worrying.

Burt slowly made his way from the kitchen to the living room and got comfortable in his lazy chair. It was the first piece of furniture he bought himself as a working adult. He remembered getting it home and then trying to figure out how he'd explain it to Sheryl. At that point they had a well worn powder blue loveseat that had been a hand me down of her mothers'. They had their first little fight over it because it was considered, by her at least, a big purchase and therefore something they should have talked about. Burt had walked away from it feeling like he'd lost the fight but was still in the right. He had the money, he wanted the chair, so he got it. A few months later Sheryl found out she was pregnant and Burt could have kicked himself for wasting the money. When they found out it was twins Burt was hard pressed to sit anywhere else because damn it if he was gonna buy something that expensive he was gonna use the hell out of it.

By now the loveseat was gone. There were only a few things left around the house that came from his first home. He had this chair and the thick oak dinning room table, the wooden standup piano that was Sheryl's pride and joy before the accident, and the vanity in Kurt's room. Between time, and moving, and combining households everything else had just slipped away. The wedding china that they'd gotten from Mildred didn't even make it to the day of the accident. Kurt and Carson had climbed up onto the counters looking for something, a toy maybe, and they yanked on the mats in the cabinets and it all came spilling out onto the floor. He remembered running like a mad man into the kitchen, expecting to see his two boys bloody and broken on the kitchen floor and instead saw them looking shocked up on the counter. Sheryl hadn't been too angry. Angry that they could have gotten hurt, yeah, but not at all about the china.

Now their cabinets were filled with three half complete sets, one sleek black set that Kurt picked at thirteen, one with blue nature scenes that he had picked up at a garage sale, and one buttery yellow set that Carole had brought over. There were bits and pieces of other things too; like his father of the year mug and the mug shaped like the head of some action figure that belonged to Finn. He was pretty sure there was a set of bright pink handled forks somewhere that Kurt had scrounged up. Their whole house was like that. It was a mash up of styles and colors that probably bothered Kurt more than he let on but it was home. It was Kurt's home and Finn's. It was his and Carole's. Burt wondered how much it would hurt Carson to walk in and see how much had changed. There wasn't enough _Deadliest Catch_ recorded for him to deal with this. He needed a beer.

Burt tossed the remote aside after switching off the television and paused at the stairs. He listened closely for any sounds that Kurt was awake. That kid could just sense when he was doing something he shouldn't. When he didn't hear any movement or noise from upstairs he headed for the door and stopped short. Sam was pulling into the driveway. "I just can't catch a break." Burt scuffed his shoe against the floor then slumped back into the living room to make himself comfortable. He turned the television back on but left it muted. Sam came in moments later, cautiously yelling hello in the hallway.

"In here Sam."

He turned the corner with a questioning look that turned into a frown at the look on Burt's face. "Is everything okay Mr. Hummel?"

Burt sighed and gestured for Sam to take a seat. "Yes and no I guess."

"Do I uh...need to head back to—"

"No. No. It's nothin' like that. You're welcome to stay here for as long as you need. I wouldn't put you out. It's just...some family stuff came up and it's going to be a little tense around here for a few weeks."

"Did someone die?"

"Almost." The look on Sam's face would have been funny if Burt wasn't caught in the middle of the crazy. "Calm down, he's fine. But uh...that's the problem. Well not him bein' alive, that's great. That's amazing. The problem is that he almost died and I want to see him."

"Does Kurt not like him or...?"

Burt sighed and slumped back farther in his chair. He watched the ceiling thoughtfully, trying to come up with a good way to explain things. "Kurt loves him. But here's the problem, it's like...has anyone in your comics ever turned into someone else? Like they hit their head and they're someone else now?"

"Well Hulk kind of or no, no, more like Archangel?"

"Uh, yeah okay, let's go with that guy. So he was a nice guy right then he hits his head and he's someone else?"

"It was an experiment actually and it let out his dark side."

"You get what I'm trying to say though right?"

"I guess."

"Okay, this is going to sound weird but it is what it is and I think it's important that I tell you what's going on. Because someone else's kid or not, you live in my house and I'm suppose to look out for you even you know...the emotional stuff. I don't want you feeling uncomfortable in your own home. So if at the end of this you don't like what's going on the Berry's said you could stay with them until things blow over here. But I'm not making you leave. I don't want you out and I don't think you're a burden. Okay?"

Sam squirmed in his seats and fought a blush. Burt didn't do emotional stuff often but when he did he was a great dad. It was nice. "Okay."

"Kurt's mom...she uh...well so far as Kurt's concerned she died." Burt could see the look of confusion on Sam's face and pressed on before he could ask any questions. "And she did, in a figurative sense I guess. There was a car accident when Kurt was six. His mom, Sheryl, she banged her head up pretty hard and when she woke up she just...wasn't the same. She didn't remember him. She started swearing and drinking. She stopped watching musicals and playing piano. She just..."

"Turned into someone else."

"Yeah. But it wasn't just her and Kurt in the car. Kurt has a brother, Carson. They're twins, identical but not the same personality wise you know? After the accident Sheryl couldn't remember Kurt but she remembered Carson just fine. It was really hard in the beginning. There was a lot of fighting and crying going on. She thought he was some kind of alien baby or something that was copying Carson's face. It's a mental thing. I can't remember what it's called. But, the point is, she made life hard for Kurt. We tried to work it all out. She stayed for two years before she had enough. She couldn't remember either of us so she just couldn't stand living with us around thinking she was crazy. She wanted to take Carson and I let her. I thought..."Burt stops here and fights back tears. He swallows the lump in his throat and takes a minute to compose himself. Across from him Sam is looking away to give him some privacy. "I uh...I thought that she'd come back. I thought she'd gone to a hotel or that she'd move across town and cool off. But she didn't. She just left and never came back. I didn't hear a single word from her or Carson until a few days ago."

"So Carson's hurt...he kind of almost died right? But he's okay?"

"Yeah. He got struck by lightning in his school parking lot. The guidance councilor found him, called an ambulance. He's got some weird burns and some nerve damage but he's gonna be okay."

"That's—"

"Crazy?"

"I was gonna say kind of awesome actually but uh...yeah. I um, don't want to sound insensitive I just..."

"It's like a comic book right? It's fine. He's okay. But he's out of school for a while and he wanted to see Kurt so he's coming for a visit. Sheryl's coming with him."

"And it's going to be wicked uncomfortable for Kurt right? Because she thinks he's a body snatcher or a changeling right?"

Burt fought down a laugh. Sam was taking it way better than he thought. He needed to stress less. Kurt was going to kill him. "She knows he's not now but she still doesn't remember him. But yeah, it's going to be uncomfortable. I also...neglected to mention any of this to Carole until I heard about the accident."

"Oh. Well Mrs. H really loves you. It'll blow over soon. I want to stay here though if I can. But if you don't have the room...I could sleep on the couch maybe? No offense to Mr. and Mr. Berry but Rachel is kind of..."

"Intense?"

"Yeah, let's go with that. Are you sure I can stay?"

"I'm putting her and Carson up in a hotel. Carson will probably hang around here with Kurt but Sheryl will steer clear like we've got the plague."

"Then I'll stay. If Carson is half as cool a guy as Kurt I'd hate to miss meeting him." Sam stands rather quickly and starts toward the stairs but stops. He hesitates at the door frame then turns back to Burt. "It was really cool of you to talk to me about this. Thanks." Then Sam is off, jogging up the stairs towards his room.


	5. Chapter 5

Rating: PG-13

Word Count (this section): 6,423

**A/N:** They finally meet! I am so excited to share this with you guys.

A noon take off time was hell. Everyone was crowding her space. There were screaming, snot covered babies. And to top it all off Carson was practically dead on his feet and completely useless. She had to herd him through all of the security check points and through the body scanner, then to the waiting area, then she had to half drag him onto the plane and into his seat. Thankfully they were seated alone. Every time someone passed too slowly by their row Sheryl glared, just daring the person to take a seat next to her. When the plane was about half full the stewardesses started sealing up the plane then started on their safety ramble. Sheryl couldn't believe this many people needed to get from California to Ohio. Ohio, of all places. If it weren't for Carson's drug induced death bed ramblings she would've kept Ohio firmly in her past. She almost wished she were cold spirited enough to have ignored the whole damn thing, or at least mean and irresponsible enough to have sent Carson alone. There was nothing waiting for her in Lima except for Hell.

As the plane finally started moving Sheryl rolled her head to the side to watch Carson. He was sleeping again. She'd dosed him up a little extra for the ride. There were reports about a possible thunderstorm and she did not want him awake for that mid-flight. His head was hanging down on his chest and he was drooling, just a little. He hadn't bothered with his glasses that morning. It's not like he'd be able to see properly anyway with the way he was dozing off and on. Instead they were tucked into Sheryl's purse for when they landed in Ohio.

At least they were landing in Columbus. She'd get to gradually ease back into the hellhole that was her home town. Clover wasn't exactly a mecca of progress but it wasn't full of people who'd seen her fall from grace either. The people of Clover met her as a wrecked single mother. She was good for a gossip segue at least once a week but she wasn't a scandal. Now Carson would be the hot commodity about town. If he was smart he'd use it to his advantage. Surviving something like that had to mean something. He could write some big story about it and actually succeed at his dream. He'd be the first in their family. She didn't think Kurt was going to make it anywhere fast, not with a background in Lima. There were bus loads of kids that grew up in shit towns dreaming of being on the big screen or on Broadway. There weren't as many kids that could write like Carson. An yeah she liked to give him big doses of reality but it was her job. She was a living breathing cautionary tale of how fast life can punch you in the face and laugh. It didn't hurt to be prepared for that. She didn't want him to fail, she just...didn't want him to drag through the mud if he did.

About half way through their flight Sheryl realized she should have gotten Carson a pillow forever ago and flagged down a stewardess. She was a snippy young blond that thought way more of herself than she should. Apparently because it was an afternoon flight it was odd to request a pillow. "Well excuse me lady. Maybe I should tell my dying child to sleep it off somewhere else." It was a low blow lie, uttered just loud enough for a few nearby passengers to hear. They all gave Miss Snooty the stink eye until she scurried off to look for a pillow. To keep up appearances Sheryl stroked and cooed at Carson's face until the stewardess got back. Then she tilted Carson's head towards the wall and promptly got bored. During her valiant attempt to knock April down a peg she'd completely forgotten about picking up a magazine or two. She barely got out any good party shots before she had to call the whole thing off as a loss.

The longer she sat without anything to do the more she thought about Kurt. From what she could remember of the two years after the accident he was a perfectly sweet boy, if a little clingy and whiny. He liked girly clothes and musicals and he had a lisp that wouldn't quit. She honestly felt a tiny bit bad about the way she treated him. It wasn't entirely her fault though. She wasn't well after all. Burt should have kept a better eye on him. Carson could have kept him busier. But that's all in the past. Now he was a teenager with a boyfriend and hobbies and a dream for his future. It was hard to imagine. She couldn't see Carson's face and hear a show tune coming out of his mouth. She couldn't picture him in designer clothes or a stage costume. She just couldn't have been bothered by it for all these years to keep a record of a kid she didn't want to know. Now she felt like she should know a little something. Even if it was to just keep that kicked baby look off his face. But she didn't have the courage to ask Burt about him and she wasn't desperate enough to ask Carson.

It was going to be awkward whether she knew about Kurt's interests or not so she wasn't sure why she was bothering with it at all. He was a teenager now. A teenager with a trailer full of problems and angst. He probably hated her anyway. He didn't know her. He didn't know how hard it was for her to live with herself everyday wondering where she could have been or if she was going to wake up one morning someone new. She wasn't going to apologize for anything. She didn't have to. When you grow up you figure out that shit happens whether you want it to or not and stopping to apologize for every little thing was a waste of your time and everyone else's. It was best to just push on and make the best of it.

With that thought solid in her mind Sheryl tried to focus on something else, anything else. She stared at the pattern on the carpet, then at Carson's twitching eyelids. When that stopped being interesting she moved on to making up stories about the other passengers. The guy two seats in front and diagonal from her was a closet gay. He was going to Columbus to pick up some cheap guy on a seedy street corner and they were going to fuck in a rental car because he wasn't made of money and he wanted his hotel to himself. The couple to the left of her were on their first vacation in ten years and they planned on touring middle America at it's finest because there was just too much hustle and bustle in California. The snooty stewardess from before obviously came from a broken home but wanted to defy the stereotype of becoming a stripper and became a stewardess instead so she could sleep with pilots and hopefully snag a rich one some day. She was good. Carson must have gotten his knack for writing from her. He just didn't see it.

When the plane landed most of the passengers clapped. The noise woke Carson, who gave a condescending look around then clucked his tongue. "Don't go back to sleep. There's pizza waiting for us." Carson nodded and stretched himself out bit by bit. He was a little confused as to why the people closest to them made a big show of letting him and his mom go first. He didn't think his mom was the type to share her woes with complete strangers. But it got them off the plane faster so he kept his mouth shut and moved along with the flow of traffic. They didn't see Burt and Kurt when they exited the terminal so they headed straight to baggage claim. It wasn't too crowded considering the time of day, but how many people really chose to come to Ohio near Thanksgiving instead of leaving it? Carson was about to find a clean wall to lean against when he spotted a flannel shirt. It was Ohio. It could have been anyone buy Carson latched on.

It was Burt. It was his dad. A lot older and a little heavier but it was his dad. He was holding two large pizza's and smiling like he'd just been told he was dad. Carson took him in, speechless. He'd been so concerned with getting to see Kurt that his dad had completely slipped his mind. He thought it wouldn't matter, that seeing Burt would be like seeing a piece of furniture. But it wasn't. Suddenly his heart ached to talk to him. He didn't know what to say. A combination of unpreparedness and pain killers kept him from finding the words. Then Burt nodded, just a little, and Carson knew he got it. They'd figure it out later.

Broken free from his thoughts of Burt, Carson looked around for his brother. Kurt was there, a little ways behind Burt with tears running down his cheeks. His face was blotchy and his hair was falling free from some puffed up thing. He was working his red scarf over in his clenched hands. "Carson?"

"Kurt." Kurt let out a loud hiccuping sob and rushed forward. He threw his arms around Carson and stood on his toes to rock him back and hold him close. It stung a little but he ignored it. He held Kurt tight around the middle and tucked his face into Kurt's neck and shoulder. He couldn't believe it was happening. It was like he had died back there in the school parking lot and all of this was just some crazy fleeting dream your mind makes up to cope. He missed Kurt so damn much. He wanted to see him again, wanted to see him so bad he manipulated his mother to do it and he still hadn't been prepared for how much it would mean to him. He never thought he'd actually hold Kurt again. While he had been stuck in bed at the hospital he imagined their meeting would be full of witty banter and that they would look up and down at each other then shake hands. Or something like that. He didn't think he'd break down and cry like a baby in front of hundreds of nosy Ohio natives.

Kurt let out a shuddering wet breath against the side of his head. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again." It came out garbled against Carson's ear but he understood it perfectly. He hadn't thought so either. He had more faith in the inevitability of life sweeping him away and keeping him occupied. He'd thought Kurt's desperate hopes would have had him planning the layout of their future apartment together. He was not so pleasantly surprised that he was wrong about that. It was a little disheartening. Kurt sniffed heavily then pulled slowly away from Carson, straightening his rumpled hoodie as he went.

Burt shifted on his feet and the pizza boxes made a noise as they slid across each other. Then suddenly the noise of the airport around them came back to life in full force. There were people yelling and talking and rolling bags everywhere. It was a mess of sound and color and movement and it put Carson on edge. His eyes were still distinctly watery and he was sure his mom was behind him somewhere with a put on look on her face. It seemed to snap Kurt back into attention as well. He pulled completely away from Carson, tilted his chin up and turned to the baggage claim. Without another word he spotted and pulled down Carson's crisp new black duffel bag. He threw it over his shoulder then stepped aside and gestured for Sheryl to come wait for her suitcase. Carson and Burt were both watching on with bated breath, waiting for the shoe to drop and the accusations to fly. But it didn't come. Sheryl plucked her suitcase from under a tattered sports bag and started wandering toward the exit. Burt followed dumbly behind her, still holding onto the pizzas. Kurt fell into step with Carson but kept a respectable distance. Even without his glasses Carson didn't miss the way his fingers curled just so, like he wanted to reach out and hold hands.

Once they were outside Burt took the lead and they all headed towards a large black Navigator in silence. "It's Kurt's. I still drive a pick up not enough room for all of us. I figured you two would like to stretch out a little bit." Sheryl rolled her eyes as she tossed her suitcase into the trunk. Then she skulked around to the front passenger side and leaned against the door. Carson sent her an unimpressed look, but after raising him day in and day out it had pretty much lost all meaning. Kurt was more careful with his duffel, making sure it was sitting up properly in a place where it wouldn't slide around. He turned to face Carson and opened his mouth, but said nothing, instead snapping his jaw shut and nodding once before taking the pizza's from Burt and rounding to his side of the car. "I figure we can all eat in the car." Burt unlocked the doors and everyone eased inside like the car was rigged to explode.

On the backseat between them was a stack of paper plates and napkins. On the floor in front of that was a small red cooler presumably full of drinks. Carson didn't bother asking. He flipped the lid open and dug around until he found a can of diet Coke then nudged it close. While he made himself comfortable Kurt doled out the pizza and passed it on quietly. When he gave Sheryl hers he pulled his hand away so quickly she almost dropped her plate. He was much more careful handing Carson his. "So this was your sweet sixteen present? I pegged you as a hybrid kind of guy." Carson was trying to keep things light. If he could keep Kurt distracted enough he wouldn't have time to fight with their mother.

Kurt rolled his eyes over the slice of pizza stuffed in his mouth. He covered his lips with his hand as he chewed and held up a single finger until he was done. "Please, those things look ridiculous. If I wanted to drive a toy car I'd get one from Hot Wheels." It wasn't the answer he was expecting, but definitely a good one. Carson chuckled and started in on his own pizza. "What do you drive?"

"A red convertible."

"Dark or cherry?"

"Dark, like a maroon I guess."

Kurt scrunched his nose and mumbled something about Cali. boys that he wasn't sure he agreed with but he let it go. His car was his baby and if the almost obsessive compulsive level of cleanliness in the Navigator was any indication, Kurt's car was his baby.

"First time you've seen each other in years and you want to know what kind of car he drives?" Carson leaned to the side and sent his mother a warning look. He could see Burt doing the same. If Carson guessed right his mother was probably thinking that Kurt was trying to guess their tax bracket. He couldn't believe she'd start this early. They hadn't even gotten through two slices of pizza yet. He turned to look at Kurt and found him angrily tearing a bite off of his pizza. Still an emotional eater then. Some things didn't change.

"I picked this out for Kurt, figured it'd be nice and safe."

Carson settled back into his seat and turned his attention to his father. "Snow?" Before he answered Burt shifted in his seat and looked down at his plate.

"Yeah, snow." It was obvious even to Sheryl that snow wasn't the reason Kurt drove a vehicle a few upgrades away from a tank. Kurt seemed to sense where his dad's train of thought was going so he subtly kicked the back of his seat in warning. It set the gears in Carson's brain into motion. Lima had never been a paradise for people who were different. It just hadn't seemed too much like a hell either, just a sickly little in-between place that no one really wanted to be in. Obviously it had gotten a little worse for Kurt since they'd left. It got uncomfortably quiet again so Kurt nudged the back of Burt's seat when he thought Carson wasn't looking. "So a convertible huh? You pick that out?"

"Yeah. I like the air." What he really liked was the feeling of being free. The feeling of speeding down empty roads until everything outside turned into a blur and it was just him and the wind. He didn't want to get into that though, not with his mom sitting right there. She'd start feeling inadequate and it would all just tumble down hill from there. "Is the garage doing good?" He wanted to touch on his father's sudden and booming interest in politics but he didn't feel up to the challenge of an in depth conversation at the moment. He was still shaking off the grogginess from his medication and the loose heavy feeling in his legs told him his short burst of energy was due to ware off soon.

"It's doin' good. I've got the same guys as before in there. They keep everything in line when I'm gone. Kurt helps out too and my stepson's learning what he can." Burt eased out the word stepson like Sheryl and Carson would stab him for saying it. Carson didn't really care. Sheryl had gotten remarried just two years after moving out to Clover and there had been a brief and, terrifying for her, scare that she was pregnant. It was a false positive and life moved on but it could have happened. They had separate lives now. Carson couldn't care less if Burt had gone and married some lady with six kids so long as they treated Kurt right and he didn't have to play dress up with them. If his mom said anything negative about Burt having a new stepson it would be purely out of spite that her own second marriage had crashed and burned. Carson fully expected a comment like that to come; but it would come later in the week after Sheryl had met them so she could dig her claws in properly before lunging for the throat.

Burt prattled on about the garage a little while longer, every now and then Kurt chimed in, until everyone was full and the ride back to Lima couldn't be delayed any longer. When the engine roared to life Carson pulled his hood over his head and closed his eyes, settling in for a nice nap. Beside him Kurt whispered "Sleep well."

Carson drifted in and out of consciousness during the drive. Beside him he could hear Kurt humming different things or speaking softly to their father. The radio was a soft gentle lull in the background and he knew it had to be a playlist because headache inducing pop songs came up, at least not that he noticed. Near the end of the drive he felt someone prodding his cheek gently, his mom, and resisted the urge to twist out from under it. As the car finally pulled to a stop and the engine cut Carson found himself reluctant to get out. They had a nice peaceful thing going in the car and it seemed cruel to get out and start playing house with a room full of people destined to poke and prod at him while asking dumb questions.

"Carson, you up?" He grunted to Burt's question and sat up a little straighter, but kept his eyes closed. "I forgot to mention before, we've got another kid staying with us. He's a grade below you two. He's a friend of Kurt's and Finn's. Sam is a guest in our house and I want you to be nice." The last part was mostly directed to his mom. Carson could hear it in Burt's tone. He was intrigued to know why a friend would be living with them and why Burt made it a point to tell them to play nice. It was the journalist in him. But he wasn't going to go poke at the kid. Baring the whole blackmail thing he tried to keep his writing on the up and up. Plus the whole being struck by lightning thing could be some form of cosmic punishment so it really wasn't worth it at this point to test his luck. And maybe it had a little something to do with the fact that, while he was doped up, he wasn't going to be very slick. Sam would have to be a mystery for another day.

"Wait." Carson opened his eyes and leaned towards the front seat. "Are we staying with you?" Kurt answered before Burt could.

"Dad booked a hotel. But we thought you'd want to come in for a little bit." It was clear that the hotel was mostly for Sheryl's benefit and that he was welcome to stay wherever he wanted. It put him a little on edge. He didn't want his mom to feel like she was being ostracized and he didn't want to disappoint Kurt by staying with her or angry his mom by not staying at the hotel. He was too tired to deal with all of this. Deciding to work out the logistics later, he opened the door and eased himself out.

In front of him was a two story slate gray house that he didn't recognize. The grass was green and well taken care of. There were pulled and draped mossy green curtains in the window. And in the driveway there was a beat up, once blue truck. The garage door was closed but Carson was sure that there were two more cars behind it, probably a red pick up and a sensible silver hatchback of some sort. It was so domestic. From right here in the drive way it looked like every picture perfect house lining the better streets of Clover. "We moved after Dad and Carole got married. Not enough rooms." Kurt had come up quietly behind him to answer his unasked question. The answer gave him a few more though. He didn't like the way Kurt had said rooms. Usually you said you didn't have enough _room_, not enough space for all the new people. Which couldn't have been the case because they, once upon a time, had been a four member family. There had only been two official bedrooms in the house but the basement had been a rec room when he was young. That could have easily solved any sharing problems. Kurt meant something else, he could feel it.

"Come on Carson, let's get you inside before everyone rushes out here to meet you." Sheryl cut across his thoughts and tugged on his sweat shirt to get his attention. He didn't miss that she expected no one to greet her warmly and he dimly thought some of that was her fault. She could at least pretend to be civil.

"Coming." He followed behind his mom and Kurt trailed behind him, duffel bag thrown over his shoulder. Burt, still the gentlemen he remembered, was carrying his mom's suitcase. They'd barely reached the porch when the door was thrown open. It had to have been Carole. She was wearing sickly pink nurse scrubs and looked like she didn't know whether to smile or cry.

"Hi, I'm Carole."

"Sheryl."

"Carson."

Everyone stood still, not sure if it was worse to look each other in the eye or avoid it entirely. A muffled boom spurned Carole into action. She stepped aside and ushered Burt in, kissing him on the cheek as he passed. She stood awkwardly to the side as Sheryl and Carson came in, then gave a quick pat to Kurt's arm before hurrying to the living room. Burt and Kurt put their luggage down at the foot of the stairs and followed her. The boom from earlier had come from whatever video game Finn and Sam were playing. It was paused now and the two of them were climbing up from the ground. Sheryl couldn't hold in her huff of disbelief at the one teen's height. Then she spotted the other boy's lips and looked back at Carson with an 'are you kidding me' look. Before things could get any worse Carole introduced them.

"This is my son Finn and this is Sam Evans. He's a friend from school." Finn, the super tall guy, smiled and nodded along with his mother and Sam gave them a stilted wave and a smiling nod of the head. Carson nodded his head but didn't bother to wave. His pain pills were wearing off just enough for the whole right side of his body to start stinging. His hip in particular was bothering him, the hem of his jeans and his belt were rubbing against the curve of his burn.

"I'm Sheryl. The dreaded Ex I'm sure you've heard nothing about."

Finn and Carole looked appropriately uncomfortable with the introduction. Burt looked like he'd start yelling if she hadn't been a grown woman. Carson didn't bother being discreet in looking for Kurt's reaction. He looked largely disappointed, not nearly as angry as he'd expected, just disappointed and sad. The kicked puppy look was probably going to be a permanent fixture on his face until Sheryl bowed out to go to the hotel.

"Ah, well, I'm sure Burt had his reasons. Carson, honey, if you're tired you can go ahead and take a nap. Kurt can set you up in his room." It was clear that Carole was going to be playing peace maker. Carson was willing to bet she was more pissed off about being kept in the dark than she was letting on. But she was obviously smart enough to know not to add fuel to the fire that was Sheryl's misplaced rage and bitterness.

"Thanks, I'll do that." Carson nodded his head towards the stairs and made sure Kurt was following along with him. He wanted to have a little chat with him before his new round of medication made him incoherent. His pills were thankfully in an outer pouch. He poured one out into his palm and swallowed it dry. Kurt walked past him up the stairs, going slow so Carson could keep up. They passed stereotypical pictures of Finn growing up. At the half way point there was a picture of the newly blended family at the wedding, shoulder to shoulder, smiling. Past that were pictures of Kurt growing up, but nothing with him younger than eight. Instead of a baby photo at the landing, there was a framed pressed flower in a painted gold frame.

The first room they pass is dirty and cramped with sports equipment. There's a drum kit shoved into one corner half buried under dirty shirts. "That's Finn's. Sam's room is downstairs." Carson hums. The next room is Kurt's. The door has a gauzy bunch of red fabric draped over it that's tied near the bottom. The top of it hides hooks from a shoe rack or something like it. Kurt opens his door and makes a sweeping motion with his hand. He's got a nervous smile on his face that quickly shifts into him biting his lip. Carson strides in like he owns the place and takes his time looking around. It looks like it belongs in a magazine spread. Everything is tastefully done in rich reds and crisp whites with chocolate brown and black accents. The black and white photo of a naked male collarbone draws his eye and makes him laugh. Leave it to Kurt to have tasteful nudes instead of posters.

What draws his eyes next is the white vanity tucked into the corner to the left of the picture. It's their mother's. She use to spend hours sitting there doing her make up and hair then fiddling with theirs. When they were five they stole away into her room and hid behind the bed while she made herself comfortable. Then as she stood to spray herself with her favorite perfume they pounced on her legs. She got so scared she dropped the bottle and it shattered in the open bottom drawer. Carson was willing to bet it still smelled like caramel and strawberries in there. Behind him Kurt cleared his throat. "It's nice, very clean."

"I try. Dad and Finn can be slobs. My room is—"

"Your safe place." Carson flopped down on the bed and started running his fingers through Kurt's fur throw. "Who's the naked guy?" He looked over at Kurt while he asked. The blush and the way Kurt darted his head around at the door was priceless. Carson propped himself up on his elbows and cocked a brow at him. "Who's the naked guy Kurt?" Kurt threw his hands up and made kill signals. He practically tripped over himself to shut his door and lock it. There was a black cloth organizer on the door holding rolls of fabric and fashion magazines.

"Don't tell Dad."

"Why would that even cross your mind?"

"Self preservation. That guy isn't naked, just shirtless. It's Blaine. He's my boyfriend." Kurt looks like he's bracing himself for rejection so Carson makes an impressed face and nods. He looks back at the photo and tries to imagine what the mysterious Blaine looks like with more clothes on and with a face. "Here, that's him from this summer." Kurt hands him a framed picture of Blaine. His hair is dark and curly. He's smiling widely at the camera with his straight white teeth gleaming in the sun. Carson wants to laugh at his outfit choice but doesn't want to offend Kurt so soon after meeting up with him again. But Blaine is wearing pink and white striped just above the knee shorts and a forest green polo. He prides himself on how well he keeps a lid on his verbal criticism. Hopefully the kid acted better than he dressed or this would be a hard trip. Kurt sat down beside him and Carson handed back the frame. He watched Kurt place it gently back on his nightstand and wipe his thumb lovingly over the glass. Then he turned back and clasped his hands in his lap. "You don't really want to nap yet do you?"

"Not really."

"Hm."

"So...I almost died in the school parking lot. What's been going on with you?"

Kurt laughed, once and loud, then covered his mouth quickly with his hands. His eyes were wide in shock but he didn't look upset. "Nothing much this year. Last year was a mess but things have calmed down."

"What happened last year?"

"What happened in that parking lot?"

They stared at each other. Carson refused to believe Kurt had the upper hand just because he was sitting up and not riddled with pain and medication. There was a letter sitting in his desk back home, unopened, from Kurt marked back during the last school year. It had come to him in a small manilla envelop with an index card that said not to open the letter unless he got a phone call. Out of pure respect and trepidation Carson had followed Kurt's wishes. Now he was wished he'd been a little less scrupulous. "I got struck by lightning. There was a lot of light then a lot of pain then I woke up in a hospital. No pearly gates and no weeping classmates. What happened with you last year?"

"Nothing, just the same stuff that happens every year."

"I don't get a letter from you every year."

"It's the technological age Carson."

"Don't pull that shit with me. What's been going on out here?"

Kurt stood and strode away from the bed, his back to Carson and his arms crossed over his chest. Carson sat up and tossed a throw pillow at Kurt's back. He growled and turned. The look on his face was livid. "You almost _died_! Can we just not?!"

"Not what?"

Kurt was breathing fast, fighting down tears. "Not talk about this. It's over. It's done and it doesn't matter any more." What mattered was Carson being here right now in Lima, in his house, with him. He didn't want to make it about himself. He was sick of everyone getting into his business and treating him like a victim. Like he was some fragile damsel in distress that needed to be rescued and protected. Carson was the one who'd been on his death bed. He should be lying in bed fending off smothering well meaning family members, not prying into things that were none of his business.

Carson frowned and stared his brother down for a minute longer but Kurt didn't show any signs of budging. He didn't want to let it go but he wasn't going to get anywhere with it tonight. Finn didn't look very bright. He could probably weasel it out of him if he agreed to a round of video games. "Fine. We'll pretend it's none of my business."

"It's not."

Carson huffed and threw himself back against the bed again. He patted the bed beside him and waited for Kurt to lie down. Once he did the two of them stared up at the ceiling in silence. It was quiet for a while longer then the thundering of footsteps signaled Finn and Sam's decision to vacate the living room. It was a wise choice and they were both surprised they lasted as long as they had down in the lion's den. It couldn't have gotten any less awkward after they went upstairs. Kurt had thought that they'd talk more. That they would be firing off one thing after another like he did when he was with the girls but there was nothing. It wasn't bad. It just wasn't what he was expecting. Now that he had Carson there with him he wasn't sure what to say. There was just so, so much he wanted to share. But on the same hand he didn't want to share anything too unsavory. It would be different if Carson were there to help him everyday. If Carson was moving back then he could share and have a shoulder to lean on and another guy to help watch his back. But in a week or two Carson was going away again and he'd be torn open and raw with no one there to bandage him up.

Carson felt the same. If Kurt had been with him in California their mom would have a job and he wouldn't be blackmailing his classmates to better his chances at college. As bitchy as Kurt could be he was the better of them. He got knocked down every day and got back up and relied on the knowledge that he'd get out _someday_. Carson went through life tearing down anyone he could to make the playing field more level. In a perfect world he'd hash out his game plan with Kurt and they could look it over together and fill the holes. But it wasn't a perfect world. It was a cruel, competitive world where families got ripped apart and you couldn't get what you wanted unless you were rich or you stepped on someone else.

He felt himself drifting off a little bit and fought it. He really wanted to talk more with Kurt, even if it was about something stupid. It wouldn't be long before people realized they were back in town and the prying started. That would put a damper on things for sure. At the most he could hope that only Kurt's friends would come hounding him but the letter he'd gotten last year weighed heavily on his mind. The people far more likely to come nosing their way into their private business would be the people who needed to stay the farthest away from Kurt. He couldn't exactly defend Kurt. Not only would it not be particularly appreciated or very effective, there was nothing to stop the bullies from striking back twice as hard once he left. As much as he hated to admit it, it would be in his best interest to keep his distance. If he had more time or contacts he could dig up some dirt about McKinley High's undesirables and blackmail them. But that didn't seem like a possibility either.

"Does she have any pictures of me?" It was sad and longing in a way that tore at Carson's heart. Kurt wasn't looking at him. He was still staring at the ceiling, his face set and stony.

"Somewhere. Our house is a mess." Carson wasn't sure if that was true in the strictest sense. _He_ had a few pictures of Kurt and he was sure some of them had gotten lost along the years. Those would be considered communal family property. But you never knew. Deep, deep down Sheryl was guilty about leaving the way she did. And there were times when Carson knew she wished she could remember Kurt, and times when she regretted moving so far away. It was possible that she had a specific picture of Kurt hidden somewhere just for her. He just didn't see the point in crushing Kurt's soul by saying no. As long as it was a lie he couldn't disprove it didn't really count.

Sleep was pulling at him harder now. The bed was so soft and warm. Despite Finn and Sam hanging out in the next room it was pleasantly quiet. As he started really drifting out Kurt grabbed him around the shoulders and middle and tugged him up farther on the bed. He used his last ounces of consciousness to flop about and make things difficult, just to show he was still himself. He distantly heard Kurt cluck his tongue before the downy comforter was roughly tugged out from under him then thrown over him. "Don't drool on my pillows." Same old Kurt.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Glee or SBL.

**A/N:** I am SOOOOO sorry about yesterday. I could not access the internet yesterday. It was this whole thing and I'm very sorry. But I come baring good news. Along with my usual updates, I will also be posting a chapter on Christmas as a little gift to you guys. Also you get to start this chapter with Sam's POV which I always find delightful.

**LINEBREAK**

Downstairs the tension was about the same as collaborations between Professor X and Magneto. There was an underlying sense that there was love lost but also it was just like really awkward and there were people standing around that just didn't like or trust each other no matter what their leader said. It was kind of like that, only no one was going to destroy the house in an epic battle. Well maybe, but if it came down to that Sam's money was on Kurt. He was wicked scary when people messed up his furniture and stuff.

Seeing Kurt's mom wasn't just weird because she was alive either. She was kind of a mess. Which, okay, she had a tragic accident worthy of a comic book origin story. But with Kurt's looks he sort of just imagined his mom would be more of a bombshell. Not that she was ugly or anything. For an older lady she was nice. But he'd kind of pictured Kurt's mom as more of a Scarlett Johannson than a Julie White.

"So when did you find out about Kurt's mom and Carson?"

"The day before yesterday. It was really weird. Mom was super pissed but I think she's okay now. I mean...it's not like Burt would leaver her for...you know. She's kind of a mess."

"That's not cool man. That's Kurt's mom. She has a brain injury dude."

Finn's face morphed into that half thoughtful, half constipated look he usually got when he thought about difficult things. "Yeah I guess. Do you think she could have hidden powers or something?"

"I don't think so. If she did she probably would have gone to New York you know."

"Yeah. Maybe Carson though?"

"A lightning strike would make a pretty cool origin story. Even if it wasn't like Marvel powers he could still be like Kick Ass. He probably has some nerve damage." Sam could tell Finn didn't really follow him. He also kind of got the feeling Finn really thought Sheryl or Carson could actually have some sort of super power. He liked to pretend but he knew where to draw the line. Most of the time. _Stan Lee's Super Heroes_ made him wonder sometimes.

"Do you think I should say something to Rachel?"

"It's not really any of Rachel's business." Sam knew where this was going and he didn't like it. Private family business was private family business. When he lost his house and lived in a hotel with parents who were ashamed and desperate he learned how valuable privacy could be. In front of him Finn frowned and squirmed.

"Well it kind of is right? I mean, it's my business because he's like family by marriage right? And my business is Rachel's business right? If I don't tell her she's going to be super pissed."

"Then let her be pissed. It's not any of Rachel's business. It's Kurt's and Mr. Hummel's. If anyone's going to tell Rachel it's going to be one of them."

"Yeah but—"

Sam sat up straighter and looked Finn right in the eye. "No. You love your mom right? You'd do anything for her? How would she feel if she knew you'd sell out Kurt's secrets to keep from getting yelled at by Rachel?" Finn's face turned thoughtful. His heart was usually in the right place, usually, but he was weak when it came to Rachel. He was so eager to good by her that he just kind of ignored everything else. Sam hoped that playing the mom card would make him more thoughtful. Sam owed Kurt and his dad a lot. He didn't think he'd ever be able to repay them properly for what they'd done for him but this could be a start. If he could keep Finn from blabbing to everyone about this he could feel a little more at peace with himself. "And besides Rachel will think it's really noble of you to keep Kurt's secret. You'd be like a really awesome brother to help keep it quiet."

"That makes sense." The two of them shifted around quietly. They didn't want to wake Carson up if he was really napping. Sam remembers sleeping like crazy after he dislocated his shoulder and it wasn't even that bad of an injury. Finn was no stranger to pain killer induced sleep either. He had drool stains on his pillow to prove it. They also knew that Kurt and Carson probably weren't just sleeping in there. It didn't really seem possible that you could be apart from family for that long and not have like a ton of things to say to each other. The adults downstairs had plenty to say to each other. Finn and Sam had bowed out as quick as possible to avoid the crazy looks that were flying around. There wasn't any yelling drifting upstairs yet so they were probably all judging each other in that weird polite way adults did when they had company. With hidden meaning taunts like "So you drive a Honda?"

Just as they were getting desperate for something to do there was a gentle knock at the door. It was Kurt, looking a little worse for wear but he wasn't crying so that was good. He gave a quick pout then slumped into the room and laid down next to Sam, who was lounging on the bed. Finn was sitting behind his drums twirling his sticks. "Exciting day?" Kurt groaned into the bed and smacked Sam on the leg.

"I live in a Soap Opera. Tell me I'm well lit." His humor was in tact. That was a good sign. They wouldn't really know how the day went until dinner time. They'd gotten pretty good at gauging Kurt's moods based on the amount and type of food on his plate. For such a little guy, he could really pack it away. Sam was kind of jealous.

"So Carson's sleeping right? Is he staying the night cause your mom is kind of scary."

"_Sheryl_ has a hotel room. Carson might stay he might go. I'll ask him when he wakes up." Finn looked properly chastised, both by Kurt's tone and the look Sam was discreetly giving him. He hadn't meant to be disrespectful or anything. She was kind of scary.

"Right. So...what should I call her? Because I don't think Mrs. Hummel is right."

"It's not. She remarried briefly. She's the ex-Mrs. Phillips now. And I don't know. Ask her."

"Well what are you gonna call her?"

"Sheryl."

"But she's your—" Sam cut Finn off as quickly as he could by chucking a pillow at him. Kurt was already shifting to sit up on the bed with fast angry motions, and he'd seen.

"Sheryl is _not_ my mom. _My_ mom died when I was six. Sheryl just has her body." Kurt scrambled out of the bed and hesitated in the doorway. "Besides, she hates it when I call her that." Before Sam or Finn could say anything else Kurt was gone. He walked slowly down the stairs, quiet as death, dreading each foot that brought him closer to the living room. He couldn't hear anyone talking. It made him all the more hesitant. They were either down there silently plotting each others deaths or they had stepped out to the garage to argue more freely. He wasn't sure which was more preferable. Because he honestly didn't expect them to be getting along down there.

Getting along wouldn't be the proper phrase to describe what was happening in the living room. The three of them had moved past veiled insults and tense warnings to sitting quietly and staring at the television like it was their link to life. Burt and Carole were together on the loveseat; although Carole was a bit farther away from Burt than she normally would be on that couch. Sheryl had made herself at home on Burt's favorite chair. She was draped in it like a lazy king. They were, not really, watching some _Futurama_ reruns. No one wanted to change the channel and start a war over what to watch so they left it on Comedy Central with varying degrees of resignation.

Burt was starting to think taking them to the house right away was a poor choice. He could have just as easily spent some time at the hotel and spared Carole and the boys the trouble. But having both of his sons under his roof was just too much of a dream come true to pass up. And if he came out of this with two black eyes and a sore ass it would be worth it to see the smile on Kurt's face. He couldn't even fathom how much it meant to Kurt to have Carson here in the flesh again. He loved both of his sons. There were some nights when he felt like his heart was being ripped out and lit on fire because of what had happened with Carson but it couldn't compare to what Kurt felt. Losing a twin and having his mother not only stop loving him, but to start hating him? It was a whole other kind of hurt that Burt couldn't comprehend. That's why he'd kept Kurt in that special school even after they found out he didn't have autism.

He heard a little squeak coming from the stairs. It had to be Kurt. There was no way in hell any of the other boys would be running down here any time soon. As soon as they'd been able they'd taken off like a shot to avoid the mess. He could picture Kurt just standing there in the archway, arms crossed, biting his lip.

"That's an odd choice."

Carole and Sheryl whipped their heads around to see Kurt standing tall and proud in the archway. Carole sent him a sweet smile and patted the arm rest of the love seat. "Why don't you find us something better." Burt threw his arm over the back of the couch and squeezed Carole's shoulder in thanks. At least one of them was keeping their cool.

Kurt strode into the living room and scooped the remote up from the coffee table then made himself comfortable on the couch. He kept his eyes firmly away from Sheryl's general area. He flicked quietly through the channels before settling on an episode of _Hoarders_. Kurt had a serious problem with trash TV. The four of them watched on in varying degrees of horror and disgust as the cameras panned through rooms filled with trash, cats, and molded food. It was almost hypnotizing. A loud commercial about some useless kitchen thing was a welcome change.

"Didn't the glee club clean out some hoarder's house?" Burt thought Finn had mentioned something like that around Christmas last year.

Kurt tilted his head to the side and half frowned. "Not really. Santana grabbed some of the Christmas decorations but that was it. She was an obsessive QVC shopper. Trust me, if there had been molded food or waste lying around Santana wouldn't have stepped foot inside."

"What the hell is a glee club?"

Kurt didn't look at Sheryl. He kept his eyes on the television, looking far more interested in the ad for sports shoes than he really was. "It's a singing club. We cover popular songs and show tunes for competition."

"That's a thing?"

"Nationals winners receive ten thousand dollars for their school and a trophy nearly as tall as I am."

Sheryl hummed and left it at that. Kurt let out a deep breath and flicked his eyes briefly in her direction but kept his face turned away. So far it wasn't so bad. It had been a legitimate question. Glee club did sound like an odd hobby if you weren't interested in it. The tension in the air seemed to lighten a bit. When the show came back on they started commenting on this and that, throwing in their own opinions on why the woman was so clingy. They almost felt like a real family. The _Hoarders_ marathon carried them through until it was time for dinner. So far Finn and Sam had kept to themselves upstairs and Carson was still sleeping. Burt didn't want the good streak to end and even thought a dinner invitation might be pushing it, he couldn't resist.

"You two wanna stay for dinner. We can order Breadstix."

Sheryl cast a bored look in his direction and tried to gauge Carole's face. She wasn't really up for a night of 'Oh look how amazing my family is' but she didn't want to have to pay for dinner herself either. Not that she couldn't afford it. She just didn't want to pass up food on Burt's dime. "Sure. Will the hotel hold until after?"

"It'll keep." Burt signaled to Kurt to mute the television. "Does Carson still like Alfredo?"

"Yeah."

Burt placed his order, a pan of Chicken Alfredo for Kurt and Carson to split, two pans of lasagna, and a spinach salad for Sam. They had a case of Cokes in the garage that they could throw in the fridge real quick. Whatever they had leftover wouldn't last long if Finn had anything to say about it. And Blaine was sure to stop by tomorrow around lunch. "Finn! Sam!" Instantly the sound of scrambling feet came pounding down the stairs. Finn nearly fell over in his haste to get into the living room. Sam was a bit more graceful but there was a sheepish look on his face. "You two wanna pick up our order? It'll be ready in about a half hour."

"Can I take the Navigator?"

Kurt looked Finn dead in the eye. "Absolutely not." Finn groaned and slumped his shoulders in.

"Come on, what if Sam drives?"

Sam threw his hands up and looked between them with wide eyes. "Hey, I don't mind the truck."

"Take your truck Finn."

Finn sucked his teeth and turned to go back up to his room. He needed to find his shoes. Sam stayed downstairs and sat next to Kurt on the couch. He turned the sound back on just in time to hear that this guy hadn't seen his carpet in over six years. "So how long are you guys in town? On Thanksgiving there's going to be a game at the school. Glee club is doing the half time show." Sam was nodding as he talked, trying to keep everything light and simple. Kill them with kindness.

Sheryl shrugged and looked somewhere between Sam and Kurt. "Haven't decided. The team any good?"

"It's gotten a lot better since Coach Beiste took over."

"The show?"

"We're gonna do Fleetwood Mac again. Not like again for the show just...the club did it before. Not for competition just, practice." Sam wasn't sure what else to say. Kurt looked like he appreciated what he was trying so that was good. Sheryl didn't seem so bad. She wasn't yelling at Kurt or anything. And she did agree to come out to Lima with no warning. She probably just needed some people around who didn't care about her past.

Kurt wanted Carson to stay through Thanksgiving. There was no way they'd be able to keep everything secret for that long but it would be worth it. To have Carson sitting next to him at Thanksgiving, he was willing to put up with a hundred Jacob Ben Israel's. And Sheryl, she was behaving herself better than he thought. It had been so long. By now she had to understand that Kurt wasn't some creature. She had to know that he was her son. The memories were gone forever but if he could play his cards right maybe they could make new ones together. He knew it wouldn't be easy. He knew they'd fight and he'd cry at some point then make heinous accusations but they'd get through it. Even if it took another couple of years what mattered was that she was here now, willing to be civil, willing to acknowledge him. "I'll go put some sodas in the fridge. Sheryl, do you want Sprite or Coke?"

"Coke."

It was a start.

**LINEBREAK**

A couple pans of cheap pasta proved to be enough of a mood lifter to keep things light during dinner. There hadn't even been any passing comments about how crowded they were around the table. Carson had woken up just as Finn and Sam came through the door and instinctively shuffled over to the table with half closed eyes, his glasses dangling from his limp fingers. Kurt strode past him and claimed the seat next to him. It was rude to not help set out the plates but he couldn't bring himself to care. Carole had taken it in stride, putting down his and Carson's plates first with a smile. While they ate the two of them occasionally brushed arms and they shared quick glances with each other in disbelief. It was so bizarre. Kurt imagined this is what it would have been like if Sheryl had just moved them across Lima. They could have been close and friendly instead of estranged.

Conversation jumped around. No one seemed to want to probe too deeply into Sheryl's day to day. And Carson had a sarcastic quip for just about everything that had Sam almost choking on his food. Kurt kept up with him hit for hit until Burt and Sheryl could do nothing else but watch on in awe. For all their outward differences the two of them were startlingly alike in wit. Finn didn't get a lot of what was going on, mostly because it sounded like a not really argument between Quinn and Santana which he'd always tuned out. He didn't think Kurt and Carson were actually fighting because they were smiling, so he guessed it was just teasing but he didn't want to get into it.

When their banter started losing steam and everyone was stuffed it looked like the night would fizzle out. Sheryl at least needed to go check in at the hotel. The unsaid question was whether or not Carson was going to stay the night here instead of there. He didn't look like he was very happy about making the choice either. He was stuck between disappointing his brother or making his mother feel inadequate. Ever in tune with his brother, Kurt picked up on it and tried to make things a little easier. "Do you want to stay the night?"

Carson looked at the hopeful face of his brother and couldn't deny him. "Sure." Kurt smiled wide and did a happy little clap. Then he cleared his throat and looked at Sheryl.

"If that's okay with you Sheryl?"

She shrugged. "He can do what he wants."

"Thank you." Kurt seemed lighter after that. He smiled constantly and flitted about the kitchen helping clean the dishes and putting away the leftovers. Carson watched him with a subdued smile, his chin resting on his fist. Their conversation from before was coming back to him. He got that being gay was dangerous in Lima. It was kind of dangerous in Clover too. But something must have happened, something bigger than taunting and bullying. Whatever it was Kurt thought it was all in the past but Carson wasn't so ready to believe. You can't just turn off homicidal tendencies. Whoever was hurting him before could just be biding their time. Or maybe they had turned a new leaf or skipped town, but there would always be someone else waiting to step up.

With the leftovers up and a container ready for Sheryl to take with her to the hotel, everyone gathered in the hallway to say goodbye. Finn and Sam were first and they left as quickly as possible so they could enjoy the rest of their Sunday night in peace. Carole went next, offering a polite goodbye and be safe, then she was off to relax in the living room. Burt waited with baited breath for what Kurt would do. The night had gone well so far but it was never too late for his sass to make an entrance.

"Have a good night Sheryl. There's a new diner on Abden that has amazing omelets."

"Thanks Kurt." Sheryl shifted and patted him on the arm stiffly. Then she tugged Carson close and hugged him tight. She pressed her face into his neck and smoothed her arms up and down his back. "Goodnight Carson. Take your pills, get sleep. Don't let Frankenteen eat you alive in the morning." Carson chuckled and gave his mom a parting squeeze and stepped away.

"Night mom."

Burt cleared his throat and opened the door. "Well, night Kurt, Carson. I'll be back." Kurt said goodbye and hugged Burt then stood back and gave Sheryl a wide berth so she could leave behind him. He and Carson stood in the entryway until they couldn't hear the car anymore. Carson wanted to drag Kurt back up to the room and start in on him again but a cell phone rang. The ring tone was that loud and annoying Katy Perry. It hadn't startled Kurt, rather he seemed to have been expecting it. He pulled his phone out with a smile and hit accept without hesitation and bounced on the balls of his feet closer to Carson.

"Blaine. Oh God, I'm so glad you called." Carson smirked and elbowed Kurt in the side, then mouthed 'Blaine?'. "Sheryl just left."

"How was it?" Blaine's voice was concerned and warm. The verdict was still out on whether or not this guy was worthy but he was doing well so far.

"Alright. Only a few snags. Nothing I couldn't handle. Carson's still here though."

"That's great! He's staying with you then?"

"Not just that he's—"

"I'm right here."

There was a muffled thunk on the other line. He'd probably scared Blaine into bumping into something. "Oh, hello. I'm Blaine. I can't wait to meet you. Unless you don't want to. Things must be pretty crazy for you right now so..." Blaine drifted off into a chuckle that had Kurt humming along and smiling.

"It's fine. I'm sure I'll see you eventually."

Kurt furrowed his brow in warning at Carson's flippant tone then launched into describing the car ride from the airport. All the while he was sauntering up to his room. Carson followed behind him, hands shoved in his pockets. Kurt and Blaine were very obviously in love. That worried Carson too. Kurt had a horrible habit of falling hard and fast. And okay, maybe childhood crushes on cartoon characters weren't practical indicators of adolescent crushes but it was a jumping point. Maybe. He was entitled to be worried. Two minutes younger or not, he was Kurt's brother and it was his job to be skeptical. Sam seemed like he did alright by Kurt but Finn seemed more like a wet match in a dim room. Blaine didn't seem like the type of guy he'd hang out with if he had a choice, but it was in everyone's best interest if they met with each other before the week was out. Just to make sure there were no hidden skeletons.

The phone was on speakerphone now and Kurt was sprawled across his bed, smiling wryly at the phone. Blaine was talking about his neighbor's poodle. "But it's just so tiny and it's bark sounds like a squeak toy and—"

"Despite your valiant attempts, you are not a Disney prince. Stop trying to commune with strange animals."

"He's not strange Kurt, he belongs to Mrs. Green."

"Tell Mrs. Green there are leash laws."

Blaine and Carson both snorted. The more they talked the more Carson understood why Kurt liked him. He was bright and charming and a little bit hopefully naive, just enough to stroke Kurt's nurturing ego. Blaine tactfully included Carson in their conversation but didn't press him about his personal life or what it was like to be a twin. And as much as Carson believed this was dragging out because Kurt genuinely loved talking with Blaine, he couldn't help but think Kurt was stalling. "So when did you two meet?" Kurt whipped his head around and scowled at him. Bingo.

"Last year in September. Kurt came to spy on the Warblers."

Carson kept his face on Kurt's but listened closely to what Blaine was saying. "The Warblers?"

"Dalton Academy's glee club. Kurt was coming to check out the competition and well..."

"He checked out you instead?"

Blaine laughed and Carson could just picture the wide, face splitting grin on him. When the laughing stopped there was some rustling. Blaine was adjusting himself on his bed to get more comfortable. "Sort of. I checked him out."

"You did not!" Kurt sounded pleasantly shocked.

"But I did. There I was running late to my performance when an angel taps me on the shoulder." Kurt clucked his tongue and blushed heavily under Carson's gaze.

"An angel huh?"

"An angel in bondage shorts." Blaine sighed. Carson's face morphed into shock and he raised up a bit from the bed.

"Hold on, Kurt has bondage shorts?" Blaine didn't answer, instead dissolving into giggles. Kurt reached out and smacked Carson sharply on his left arm.

"Fashion should not be defined by a deviant sub culture."

Carson snorted. "Keep telling yourself that. But back to the point, what was it like when you met? Love at first sight?"

"_Carson!_" Kurt whisper yelled his name, hissing it through clenched teeth. Kurt was almost too easy. He could have been asking completely innocent questions about how his brother met the supposed love of his life. Instead Kurt was broadcasting that he'd met Blaine during the very time Carson wanted to know about most.

"Well kind of. I wanted to ask him out but...it just didn't happen that way. We danced around each other for a while. I was an idiot. I'm not very good at romance and Kurt...Kurt deserves romance."

"That he does." Carson was gearing up to ask something else but the sound of vaguely Asian sounding yells came crackling through the phone.

"Sorry Kurt, mom's calling. I'll come by tomorrow though to meet you. Nice talking to you Carson."

"Yeah."

"Love you Kurt."

"Love you Blaine." The line went dead and Kurt growled through clenched teeth and stood. "I can't believe you! I asked you to stop. I told you it didn't matter!"

"If it didn't matter you wouldn't be this upset."

"I have a right to be upset Carson!"

"And I have a right to know why. _I'm_ your bother. Why does Frankenteen get to know and I can't."

Kurt wound his arms tight around his middle. "Don't. _Don't_."

"I can't know? You send me a letter that says not to open it until I get a phone call? A phone call from where Kurt? The cops? The morgue?"

"I was just upset. It didn't mean anything."

"It means something to me."

Kurt is crying now. His cheeks are flushed and his lip is trembling. Carson feels like shit for pushing it but this might be the only chance he gets. What's to say some asshole doesn't come after Kurt right after he leaves. What's going to keep the bullies at bay once they see that Kurt has a seemingly straight brother walking around showing the world what Kurt could be if he _tried hard enough_. Nothing. He had to deal with this now and figure out a plan. He had to.

"It was just a guy. He gave me a hard time."

"A hard time." The resolute tone in Carson's voice showed that he didn't believe that was the half of it.

"He made my life hell. And he..." Kurt sucked in a quick breath and covered his mouth. He was crying harder now. His face was mottled red all over and his shoulders were shaking. "He just...made me feel _wrong_ and I was scared. I was so so scared. But he's gone now. He apologized and he left and I never have to see him again." Kurt didn't dare mention that he still got the occasional text from Karofsky. And God forbid Carson ever found out what he'd actually done. That was still a deeply guarded secret between him, David, and Blaine. And while Kurt felt solidarity with David over the pressures of being gay in Lima, Carson would have no qualms about outing him to their father.

Carson slowly got up from the bed and approached Kurt like you would a wounded animal. Kurt was trying and failing to hold back hitched sobs. Carson didn't bother making shushing noises. There was no point. Kurt had always felt better after a good cry. The problem was that Kurt tried to hold it all in until he burst. He just pulled Kurt in and held him. He held tight and still to show that Kurt could take as long as he needed. And it did take a while. Kurt held onto him weakly, his fingers curled loosely in Carson's faded band tee. When Kurt's cries tapered off Carson squeezed tightly and backed them up to the bed. Then he pushed Kurt onto the bed and crawled up after him.

The two of them laid side by side, staring up at the ceiling again. Carson could remember back at the old house that his side of the ceiling had been covered in plastic glow in the dark stars. On Kurt's side their mother had strung up fairy lights because he'd always crawl out of bed and walk around their room. Kurt's ceiling now was bare. Instead of stuffed animals lining the shelves he had books and DVD's. The framed photos of Disney princes had gone to make way for pictures of Blaine and other smiling teenagers wearing matching outfits. Instead of crying because Billy nobody wouldn't share his blocks at free time Kurt was crying because some guy made it his mission to destroy his life. Time had changed things, but nothing that mattered.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Glee or SBL.

**A/N: **Today we get a good look into Sheryl's mind. Also I saw a still of her from SBL after she hears about Carson's death and let me just say Allison Janney deserves an Oscar.

**LINEBREAK**

The next afternoon found Finn and Sam making use of Carson being Kurt's actual twin. "Okay, okay. Now say cock."

"Cock."

"Oh my God. Oh my God. Say...say shit."

"Shit." Carson rolled his eyes as Finn and Sam dissolved into snorting laughter. The two of them had been doing this since they'd gotten home from school. They'd mostly been asking him to say swears but every now and then they'd have him quote a movie or talk trash about one of their other friends or teachers. If he actually knew these people he would probably be laughing too. The cuss words were getting old though. He swore plenty. The novelty of seeing Kurt's general facade swearing wasn't as potent if you shared the same face.

Finn smiled wide and leaned forward. "Say you like boobs. Like, talk about how hot a girl is."

Carson dropped his head back against the back of the chair and sighed. Then he stood and made his way to the kitchen. "And that boys, is where I draw the line."

"Are you gay?" Finn looked confused and maybe a little betrayed.

"Does it matter? Maybe I am. Maybe I'm not. But Kurt is."

"Dude I was just..."

"Don't call me dude. My name is Carson." He stomped up the stairs. Behind him he could hear Sam chastising Finn. He had a pretty good read on the guy now. Finn was a puppy dog most of the time until his way of thinking or his popularity got challenged. Then he got offended and flew off the handle. He probably never got yelled at for it either. Because he was some All American golden boy. He couldn't wait for Kurt to get home. Kurt had dropped him off at the hotel on his way to school and Finn and Sam had picked him up after it let out. But Blaine had needed to stay after school for a little while so Kurt stuck with him, strength in numbers. He didn't begrudge Finn and Sam for not staying, well not Sam anyways. Kurt probably would have pitched a fit if they'd made a show of staying behind as bodyguards.

Finn's bedroom door was open again. The shirts had been cleared from his drum set but they could have been on the floor next to it. Carson couldn't resist the invitation and slipped inside. On the nightstand there was a picture of a girl with long brown hair and a big nose. Not what he expected Finn to go for, but to each his own. Kurt had her picture too so they were probably in glee club together. There was an Xbox controller on the unmade bed and the corner of a Playboy was sticking out from under the sheets. Carson wrinkled his nose and moved on. There was only one sports trophy. So he wasn't quite the All American teen boy then. Carson started pulling open drawers with caution. Inside the top drawer there was a heap of unmatched socks and crumpled boxers. Carson moved them aside with a nearby pencil. Hidden near the back was a stack of photos of a pretty blond. That he could use. It was either an ex girlfriend or someone he wished was his current girlfriend.

He moved on. The next drawers were useless. Carson dropped to the floor to check under the bed and caught sight of a piece of paper stuck under the mattress. He pulled it out gently and unfolded it. It was worn around the edges and the crease was starting to tear at the ends. Inside it said Drizzle and there were some doodles around it. He had no idea what it meant but if it was important enough for Finn to keep hidden under his bed then it was important enough to remember. He was going to dig for more but the front door opened and closed so Carson hurried out of Finn's room and made himself comfortable on Kurt's bed. He'd managed to arrange himself casually before they got to him.

"So you're Carson."

"That's me."

Blaine smiled so wide his teeth showed, just like in the photo. But unlike in the photo Blaine had so much gel in his hair it looked more like a helmet than anything else. He had his hand out and Carson took it. He had a nice firm handshake. You were suppose to be able to tell the worth of a man by his grip but all Carson could tell was that Blaine played guitar.

Kurt bounced up onto the tip of his toes and clapped several times quickly. "Now that you're all acquainted I thought we could do something."

"I thought you wanted to keep me and mom secret for a little bit longer?"

Kurt deflated and put his hands and head on Blaine's shoulders. "Well not just anything, but we can do something. We could rent a movie or...something." Kurt frowned against Blaine's shoulder. Blaine sensed his bad mood and turned the two of them so he could put his hands on Kurt's hips and look him in the eye.

"Hey, it's not so bad. We can put on something pointless, turn it down low, and talk to each other." The calm, comforting tone of Blaine's voice instantly put Kurt at ease and had him smiling again. Carson fought the urge to gag just to ruin the moment. Blaine didn't seem so bad.

"Can we watch something not on basic cable? I went to sleep last night listening to Dora teaching Spanish kids English."

"We'll have to go down to the den. I do not want to wrestle the remote away from Finn."

Carson watched Blaine's face closely as Finn's name was mentioned. The slight grimace was all the proof he needed. Finn Hudson was an asshole wearing a shiny coat of paint. He kept his opinion to himself for the time being. He doubted Finn got away with too much in the house. Burt Hummel was a papa bear unlike any other, especially in regards to Kurt. He'd just keep collecting information and storing it away until the time was right. So Carson kept his mouth shut while he followed them down to the den. Along the way they passed Sam's room, which looked like it was still part office in some places. Sam's room was very clean. Carson got the feeling Sam felt ashamed of his need to stay there. He was probably poor or a foster kid.

The den was nice. Carson had gotten a tour of the house last night but he hadn't paid much attention to anything but Kurt's room and the bathroom. The den was painted in a bright butter yellow and all of the furniture was cream colored. There were grass green accent pieces here and there. Carson was willing to bet this was the only other room Kurt gotten full creative power of. It was the only other place that looked like it had come from the pages of a magazine at any rate.

Blaine made himself at home quickly, snuggling into the plush couch and hugging a green and white pillow to his chest. He wiggled his bare toes into the soft shag rug and bounced around until he felt at home. Then he looked up at Carson and smirked. "Maybe you can settle an argument."

"Okay?" Carson flopped down on the far end of the couch so Kurt could settle between them. He looked between Blaine's conniving smile and Kurt's unimpressed half frown.

"Kurt says that Disco is the single worst thing to happen to music ever and I disagree. I think it's that new wave meditation stuff that people play when they roll on the ground and scream in their underwear."

"And _I_ keep telling you that, that is not music. So Disco it is." Kurt let out a snippy little hum and sat between them with his arms crossed. He leaned back into the cushions so Carson and Blaine could see each other properly, but resolutely stared at the television instead of acknowledging either of them.

"New wave seizure music is the worst. Disco defined a generation."

Blaine cheered happily while Kurt threw his hands down against the cushions. Then he snapped his head to Carson. "You don't even _like_ Disco!"

"I never said it was our generation."

Kurt snorted and playfully pushed Blaine away and into the armrest. He didn't seemed deterred by it. He laughed and pushed back then fell back against the armrest, over and over until he gave up all pretense and lounged out against Kurt full on. Kurt huffed at the sudden weight but settled in quickly. Carson watched on the whole time with the tiniest of smiles on his face. It was nice to see Kurt so carefree. But on the other hand he was a little jealous. When they were kids Kurt clung to him like white on rice. They were inseparable. And only clingy with each other. If any other kid even tried to do that Kurt would verbally smack them down until they felt like ants. Touching was a no no when it came to other people. As a kid Carson had imagined that they'd always be that way, that no matter how old they got they'd still hang on each other out of habit. But things changed. Carson was almost certain that Kurt wouldn't push him away or think it was weird. Almost. There was still a chance it would be unwelcome and Carson didn't want to risk it.

They settled on _Jersey Shore_ which was only slightly better than reverse Dora because it was oddly fascinating in a 'how are they still alive' kind of way. It wasn't something that Carson ever would have watched on his own and he would never admit that he had, even under torture, to anyone back in Clover. Kurt and Blaine seemed like loyal fans though. The longer they sat in the den together the more and more Carson came to realize the two of them were like an old married couple. They moved together seamlessly and caught onto each others train of thought. Carson couldn't see himself that way with anyone. He could love. He had it in him. But he didn't see himself opening up as entirely as Kurt had with Blaine. He wasn't sure how much of it was a product of his less than conventional upbringing and how much of it was just from being Burt's son.

Either way Carson wasn't going to worry about it until after he was at college. He wanted to establish a career first. He wasn't the type of person who could live on love alone, he needed something constructive to make him feel useful. Oh God, he was going to be the male version of all those Lifetime women who didn't settle down until they were in their thirties after a rash of train wreck relationships.

"Carson?"

Carson turned his head at the sound of Blaine's voice. He was curled up on the couch with his head resting on Kurt's chest. He and Kurt were both looking at him with worried smiles. "Hm?"

"Do you want to watch something else? We've seen all of these."

"This is fine." Carson slumped farther into the couch. He was in that nice in-between state where the painkillers were doing their job but not making him loopy. He thought they'd keep on like they were but Kurt started tugging on the sleeve of his shirt until he leaned over. Then Kurt pulled until Carson was resting his head on Kurt's arm. "What are you doing?"

"Getting comfortable."

Carson looked over at Blaine as best he could in his position but Blaine was paying him no mind. He was already sucked back into whatever rant The Situation was having. Well if they weren't going to say anything then he wasn't. Maybe clinging to Kurt wasn't as awkward and pathetic as he thought.

**LINEBREAK**

Living in a hotel room was about as interesting as living in a hospital room. There was nothing to watch, nothing to do, and the beds sucked. The only thing the hotels had over hospitals was the fact that you could leave. Hospitals had drugs though so it wasn't the best trade off. What she would give for some Xanax, you did not want to know. Right now Sheryl was walking up to the Wal*Mart out of sheer boredom. Once she got there she wasn't sure what she'd do. As tempted as she was to buy a bottle of wine, she didn't want her first public appearance in Lima to leave the impression that she was an alcoholic. Whether she was or not wasn't any business of theirs. She may not want anything to do with the kid, but she at least owed Kurt a decent attempt at looking like a human being.

She could probably get something nice for Carson. A 'thanks for not dying' present shouldn't be too hard to find. He liked books and writing. She could pick him up some stationary. No, kids didn't use that stuff anymore. She didn't know what kind of books he'd want or what he already had so that was out. It was looking more and more like she'd just buy a bag and fill it with junk food and random cheap crap. Despite Lima's small mindedness it wasn't that small of a town. There were plenty of people around who didn't know her. It was just that the people who did know her were gossips. She couldn't understand how she had been friends with them before. People like that made her want to go postal nowadays. So the walk to the store wasn't an issue. But walking inside the store? That would travel around fast.

It was undeniable that she looked a lot rougher than she would have if she'd kept her healthy lifestyle. Her hair was a flyaway mess and although she lacked her usual bathrobe, she was in baggy jeans and worn out knock off Uggs. At least she wasn't going to run into the richer members of her former social circle. If she did they could both mutually shake it off because they wouldn't want to admit being in Wal*Mart. She really didn't want to cause Burt's family a lot of grief. As bitter as she was about how everything turned out, she couldn't deny that Burt had been nothing by supportive and patient. Hadn't he signed over the rights to Carson just so she could feel better? She wasn't sure if Kurt wanted anybody to know. As far as all his little friends knew she was dead and buried and Carson didn't even exist.

A group of rowdy teenage boys came running out of the store, bumping into each other and hollering out their plans for the night. Sheryl shook herself off and marched into the store. She was a grown woman. If she wanted to go to the store to get a gift for her son she could. It wasn't anyone's damn business what she did. Kurt was a smart kid, he'd figure it out. Walking under the industrial heater was a blessing. She felt all the lingering cold seep out of her bones after just a few seconds. Thanksgiving was next week but the displays around her were for Christmas. Tacky gold, red, and green decorations and piles of nuts and cakes surrounded her from both sides. She sighed and wandered deeper into the store, crisscrossing from the grocery side to the other departments but not picking anything up. Carson ate more candy than any other teenager she knew but he'd somehow managed to keep himself fit. He didn't run it though. Sheryl humored the thought that pure snark and disdain burned the extra calories.

She spent a lot of time walking around in the novelty clothes section. Over with the pajamas there were footie pajamas, actual fleece footie pajamas, in adult sizes. Small towns, big secrets. What kind of social life did the people of Lima have that they thought stocking those things would be a big hit? It was ridiculous. She was buying them. If nothing else the look on Carson's face would be priceless. She might actually get shocked silence. She riffled through the racks, looking for the best insult in fabric form. Being nice to Carson all the time was throwing them off. They weren't like that. They bitched and whined at each other until someone laughed or stormed off to laugh in private. She could tell Carson was still on edge about how they were suppose to act around each other right now. She could feel the guilt simmering on him and wanted it gone. On a corner rack she found a mostly black flannel set. The feet had plush Grinch heads sewn on, the snap buttons were green, and _The Grinch_ was stitched in the same green over the right peck. The snap attached hood was lined with green, yellow, and black synthetic fur. It was perfect.

With the right size in hand she started to head out of the pajamas when another set caught her eye. There was a single pair of footie pajamas in red plush fleece, covered in green wreaths. The writing covering the wreaths said _A Christmas Story_. She grabbed that too. With them thrown over her shoulder she strode quickly to the gift bags. She snatched up two plain paper bags, one in a powder blue and one in a rich deep red. She didn't bother with tissue paper or a card. It wasn't Christmas. Sheryl started towards the registers, shifting her arms and trying not to drop anything.

"Sheryl?"

Sheryl froze. Her eyes were wide and fixed on her feet. She couldn't place the voice but it sounded familiar. She turned slowly and saw white patent leather heels. They were a little worn. She made her way up stocking covered legs and a pressed cornflower blue skirt, then a dull yellow sweater. Her hair was blond and pulled back in a loose bun. "Yeah...Janet?"

"Judy."

"Right."

Judy's smile was fleeting and sad. "I was married to Russel...Fabray. My youngest is Quinnie."

Sheryl had no idea what to say. She kept her face blank and waited for it to end.

"Lucy. She was still going by Lucy then. She played with Kurt and Carson once. Just the once."

"I don't remember much from then."

Judy laughed. It was desperate and a little breathy. "Of course, of course. It's just, your son, your Kurt, he...Quinnie had a hard time a couple of years ago and Kurt was there for her."

"Then you should thank him. Or Burt."

"Right, yes." Judy was nodding and looking down at her feet. She looked like she wanted to say something else but couldn't find the words. Sheryl wanted nothing more than for the moment to end but it would be far less painful to let it play out now then to let Judy follow her around and drag things out. "Russel had an affair with a tattooed freak and I kicked him out."

That was...not what she was expecting. Sheryl blinked slowly and let out a deep breath. "You get the house?"

"He didn't sign a prenup. He didn't think I would have the bravery to kick him out."

"Good for you." They stared at each other a little longer. Sheryl was more obvious about her desire to leave. She was scrunching up her mouth and tapping her foot but Judy kept twiddling her fingers and smoothing her sweater.

"As a housewife you have one job. And it's not raising your kids or cooking meals or cleaning the house. It's keeping scandal quiet. You just have to grin and bare it. That's your only job. Everyone in my neighborhood is hiding a devious little secret. The difference between me and them is that I couldn't live with his." Judy nodded to herself and took a deep breath. Her eyes were watering and Sheryl couldn't think of anything that summed up her own post accident feelings then crying in a Wal*Mart. "I've found out that I don't actually have any friends. I still have the house. I have all of his money. I got my sweet little Lucy back. But no one wants to humor the woman who couldn't be strong by her man."

"I'm gonna tell you something that I wish someone would have told me after the accident." Sheryl straightened herself up as she spoke. She stepped closer to Judy and looked her in the eye. She saw hope there and almost felt bad for what she was about to do. "It doesn't get any better. The life you had is gone and what you go do now might be a load of shit. You're gonna cry. You're probably gonna drink. I have. A lot. A hell of a lot. And you're gonna want every single thing back that you had, the good and the bad, and it's never going to happen. This is your life now. Accept it."

Judy looked stricken for a moment. Then she took a deep breath and placed a hesitant hand on Sheryl's wrist. "Thank you." Sheryl shifted under Judy's gaze, not quite comfortable with the praise.

"I have to go."

Judy straightened herself out and wiped her eyes. She nodded to Sheryl. "Of course. Have a nice visit Sheryl." The two of them parted ways, Judy heading off to housewares and Sheryl heading toward the registers.

If Judy's fall from social grace wasn't a welcome surprise she didn't know what was. Just after her accident a whole gaggle of _well meaning_ Christian woman came to visit her. Judy had led the charge, preaching on and on about God was testing her will and how if she prayed hard enough He would heal her. When she started lashing out at Burt and Kurt Judy had heard about it. And she came right out with a casserole in a sparkling white china dish and a generic monologue telling her how it was going to get better and that she just needed to be strong. Prayer couldn't have helped her. Brain trauma wasn't something you could fix by meditating. Sheryl wondered how closely Judy followed her own advice now that she was the one who was being tested. She looked like she was still holding up, but Sheryl had too in the very beginning. It was only a matter of time before Judy was just like her.

Sheryl moved through the check out line as fast she could, drumming her fingers on the counter and ignoring all of the cashiers questions about her day. She just wanted to get back to the hotel and take a nap. Carson was over at Burt's and he'd probably stay for dinner. Kurt had school so someone was sure to drop him off before the night was out. She couldn't understand why Kurt didn't just stay home for the week. If he was trying to preserve his privacy it was a lost cause. Someone was going to blab. Or someone was going to recognize her and then he'd have his business all over town and only half his time left to see Carson. It wasn't like he wouldn't be able to recover from the scandal. He wasn't like her. Kurt had his whole life ahead of him and a ticket to somewhere he could make something of himself.

The second she had her receipt she snatched her bags and angrily stomped out of the store, paying no mind to the baffled looks being sent her way. Tomorrow Kurt was staying home from school. She didn't fly halfway across the country to sit with Carson in a cheap hotel room.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter: **8  
**Disclaimer: **I don't own Glee or SBL.

**A/N:** Welp, I was gone for a while. Just before Christmas I "fixed" my laptop charger. It was about as effective as a band aid on a bullet wound. It broke on Christmas Eve completely and I just got the money for a new one yesterday. So today I'm going to post the rest of the story okay.

**LINEBREAK**

There were not many things you could hide from Rachel Berry. She was smart, intuitive, and she just had a sixth sense about these kinds of things. Kurt really should know better than to hide things from her. With application deadlines fast approaching it was no wonder he was an emotional mess. But you couldn't let these things get you down. It was true that Kurt didn't share her vast cultural education in his youth, and his dancing _was_ better than average but nowhere near her level. But he was a rare commodity. If can't have faith in his own abilities then who would? Second guessing would become his own worst enemy. It was up to her to bring Kurt out of his funk. She couldn't have her future roommate destroying his chances at their dream. With a healthy sense of purpose Rachel marched up to Kurt's front door and rang the bell.

Finn answered the door to Rachel's beaming face, and promptly slammed it. Rachel sputtered and stared at the door, too shocked to start yelling. She could hear Finn scrambling away from the door and yelling for Kurt. If she wasn't so conscious of Kurt's current semi-delicate state she would have simply stormed inside. But it was entirely possible that Kurt needed a moment to collect himself and Finn was acting as a concerned older brother. She crossed her arms and waited for someone to come let her in. If no one came in two minutes she would make and entrance and demand Kurt come with her for ice cream and a pep talk. She wouldn't hear anything against it.

She didn't have to wait much longer. Kurt came to the door seconds later. She took him in as he leaned against the frame with folded arms and one leg crossed over the other. It was worse than she thought. He was wearing a worn out cotton shirt under an unzip blue sweatshirt and his jeans. His jeans were loose and scuffed up at the bottom hems. His hair was a mess and he looked like he hadn't been sleeping properly. It seemed obvious to her that he had been wearing makeup at school to keep up appearances. This would need more than ice cream. They were going to need cheesecake and regular cake and whole fat mocha lattes.

"Oh Kurt! _Kurt_. How could you let it get this bad? You should have come to me immediately. I know how hard it must be for you to try and cultivate a stunning application knowing that it will pale in comparison to mine but you can't let that get you down. My dads have been working on my cultural repertoire since I was a toddler. But there's still hope for you. I know if you would just let me look over your applications before you send them in I can help you embellish your weak spots and polish things up. When I filled out mine—"

"I'm gonna stop you right there Jetta. One, why do you assume that any problem I could be having _has_ to revolve around you? Second, why do you assume that _my_ father didn't enrich me culturally as a child. Third, and really the most important, how on Earth would it be a benefit to me for you to help me fill out _my_ college applications with _your_ praises? I wouldn't be surprised if your applications were covered in stickers and glitter. They don't want to hear about your dads or how many tap shoes you went through in Kindergarten."

Rachel blinked and fought back tears. She stepped back from the door and tried to collect herself. It was much, much worse than she thought. "Kurt...Kurt, I need to come in and—"

"You? If I'm having a bad day all _you_ need to do is—"

"That's enough Carson. We all want our chance to go ten rounds with Rachel Berry but she hasn't done anything lately to deserve what you'll dish out."

Rachel's mouth dropped open. She couldn't find words. There, in the doorway, was someone who looked exactly like Kurt. But behind him stood someone else who looked like Kurt. Someone who looked much more like the Kurt she knew. They couldn't be twins. Kurt did not have a twin. That would be almost too dramatic, like the plot of a daytime soap opera. It wasn't possible. But there he was. Carson, the could be long lost evil twin from somewhere far away and possibly more metropolitan. He could be the evil twin to Kurt's hidden good. The straight heart of gold bad boy that balanced out Kurt's so cliched gay tendencies. He could be anything. He could be a better leading man than Finn and try to usurp his strong leading male title.

"Did her face stick that way?" Carson was paying rapt attention to Rachel's frozen face of abject horror. It was a little like pausing a horror movie just as someone finds a poorly hidden eviscerated body. He looked to the side to see his brother's reaction. Kurt was smiling, the smallest bits of his teeth showing through.

"Not usually. I think we broke her."

"Does she think I'm the evil twin?"

Kurt snorted and bumped Carson's side gently, mindful of his burns. "Worse. She's wondering if you're going to join glee and show her up." That made Carson wrinkle his nose and leave the doorway. He went back to the den where Blaine was waiting anxiously, pacing a little.

"How crazy is she exactly?"

Blaine gave a nervous laugh and scratched the back of his neck. "She sent a girl to a crack house once because of a hypothetical solo." Carson's face dropped from amused confusion a disgust and disbelief. Seeing this Blaine waved his hands around in a frantic no motion. "That's just what I was told. She's not all bad. She stuffed the ballot box with Kurt's name to help him win the election. Which...okay that was bad too, really bad. But she meant well."

"You have got to be kidding me." Carson turned on his heel and marched right back. He wanted to give this Rachel girl a piece of his mind. He didn't even care about the girl. Yeah it was sad and all, but who just walks into a crack house? But rigging an election in Kurt's name? That could have ruined him. He could hear following behind him but nothing was said. It was clear that at least subconsciously Blaine wanted someone to smack her down too. He didn't have to go far. Kurt had gotten her inside and was leading her to the den. They met halfway and Carson pulled Kurt behind him so he wouldn't have to look at Kurt's face while he yelled. If he did he might start feeling bad.

"Carson wha—"

"You rigged a ballot box?! Do you have any idea what that could have done to him? Huh? Do you know how many colleges would have taken him after hearing about that?!" Rachel's mouth dropped open again. She had the decency to look abashed but she quickly pulled herself up to her full height ready to fight back. Carson wasn't going to let that happen. "You're suppose to be his friend! Did you really have so little faith in him that you thought he couldn't win unless _you_ had a hand in it?"

"I wanted him to win. He deserved it."

"It doesn't mean anything if it's a lie! You don't think the student body would look around and realize no one voted for him? How would that have made him feel? Hearing his name come out then realizing it was all a lie and having it snatched away from him?"

"Kurt forgave me!"

"He shouldn't have!"

"What's going on here?" Everyone looked back to see Burt standing in the hallway. Sheryl was a little ways behind him holding two bags and looking curious. Rachel recovered first.

"Mr. Hummel, I was just having a conversation with...Carson. We were talking about student elections and—"

Carson sneered and stepped around her to look his dad in the eye. "No. I was yelling at her because apparently she stuffed a ballot box with Kurt's name and could have ruined his chances at finding a good college." Burt's brow furrowed and he took a deep breath in and out, centering himself. He looked at Kurt's wary face, took in the way his jaw was turned up and his eyes were wide.

"Rachel why don't you go home."

"Mr. Hummel! I apologized and accepted the full blame after Kurt got called into—"

"Rachel, go home."

"But I—"

"I ain't gonna yell at you. So I need you to go home. _Now._"

Rachel nodded and left without another word, her lip wobbling. Finn edged out of the living room, having been half hiding there during the fight, and went after her. Sam was sitting on the bottom stair, rolling his lips in and looking awkward. Kurt leaned heavily into Blaine's arms and kept his eyes off Carson. It was Sheryl who broke the tension. "Got you something." She casually tossed the bag to Carson, who caught it while still looking dead on at Burt. "Well don't get too excited." Carson huffed and opened the bag. He pulled out the gift slowly, revealing it to be black and green themed Christmas footie pajamas. He stuffed them back into the bag and gave his mom a deadpan look of disbelief. Sheryl could practically feel the hatred. It was perfect.

Burt raised a questioning brow at the gift but shook it off and looked back at Kurt. "We'll talk about _that_ later. Sheryl wants to talk to you about school."

Kurt looked surprised. "Me?" Burt nodded and beckoned toward the living room. Blaine tried to go back to the den to give them privacy but Kurt held tight to his hand and pulled him along. Sam hovered for a minute in the doorway but then edged in once Blaine had settled down next to Kurt. He sat on the other side of Carson and looked between Mr. Hummel and Sheryl. No one looked angry, which was a great improvement from the night before.

"I want you to stay home this week. If Carson wanted to sit on a bed and stare at some walls we could have done that in Clover." Burt shot her a warning look for her tone, but didn't interrupt. She rolled her eyes and looked back at Kurt. "A few days of hookey aren't going to kill you. And now that your little friend knows it won't be long before everyone else does too. Staying home will give the hype time to die down."

Kurt had a tight grip on Blaine's hand. He was looking at his lap and weighing his options. Rachel was going to tell. It was inevitable. She couldn't keep a secret to save her life. Juicy gossip like that was sure to have the sharks swimming and it would be good to wait it out at home. Plus he'd get to spend all day with Carson, something that might not happen again for years. But on the other hand if he wasn't there to set the record straight people would go crazy with theories. It would also make him feel a bit like a coward. Waiting to face everyone would feel good in short term but in the long run it would still be out there. Kids would ask around and eventually piece together the truth. Or something close to it. Then it would only be a matter of time before the bullies pulled the religious zealot act and started telling him it was punishment for being gay. He just wanted to stay locked up in his room witch Carson until graduation. Then he wouldn't have to deal with any of this.

"Will you visit too?"

"What like hang out and play games or whatever?"

"No just...come over. I don't see you either and—"

"Look kid—"

"Kurt. My name is Kurt."

Sheryl rolled her eyes and leaned forward. "Kurt, listen I'm better but...", she huffed and put a hand over her heart. "But I'm still not your mom okay. I'm Sheryl Phillips."

"I know." Kurt looked her right in the eye. "I know who you are. I didn't ask for a visit from my mom. I asked if _you_ would come see me. Carson talks about you. It'd be nice to know the person behind the stories."

Sheryl tossed a red gift bag at Kurt, shocking him and almost smacking him in the face with it. Burt and Blaine eye the gift with suspicion, especially since it was given in lieu of a response. Carson held back a snort. He had a good idea what it could be. Before opening it Kurt looked at Sheryl, looking for a clue. But she was sprawled back in the chair picking at the hem of her shirt. Kurt took a deep breath in through his nose and opened the bag. He was instantly assaulted by red fleece covered in wreaths. The fuzzy white writing said _A Christmas Story_ over and over. The small bit of white rubber peeking out in the corner of the bag told him it was a pair of footie pajamas and not just a pair of pants. Kurt pulled them out and spread them over his lap. He cleared his throat and forced a smile onto his face. "Uh...thank you."

Burt and Sam burst out laughing. Kurt's mouth dropped open in indignation and turned to Blaine to support. But he was biting his lips and pressing his hand to his mouth to keep from doing the same. He looked to Carson instead and received a shrug. He didn't understand the gift but Sheryl didn't have to get him anything at all so he supposed he should be grateful. After he folded them and the laughter tapered off Carson nudged his arm and discreetly nodded towards Sheryl. She was looking at the pajamas with a soft smile on her face. Kurt looked back at his brother, trying to find an answer in his face. "I'll just go put these up." Kurt stood and lightly kicked Carson in the ankle to make him understand the ploy. "Blaine?"

Blaine smiled up at Kurt and kissed his knuckles. "As much as I'd love to I have to get home."

"I can—"

Sam stood and clapped Kurt on the shoulder. "I'll take him. I'll see if I can track down Rachel and Finn after too." Kurt smiled to him in thanks then scooped Blaine up in his arms as he stood. Sheryl watched them hug and rub cheeks from her chair. She didn't think she'd ever see anything like that with Carson. He didn't even bring friends home, let alone girlfriends or boyfriends. As far as she knew Carson was asexual. And she couldn't blame him. He got to watch two failed marriages and a mother with no ambition waste away. However inadvertently she'd turned him into someone who thought a successful career was more important than finding someone to be with. She looked over at Burt. He was watching them with a smile. So the kid had the Burt Hummel seal of approval. He must be quite the kid. That Rachel was a trip though. She didn't know how Kurt put up with it.

"Kurt."

Kurt pulled away from Blaine and looked at his father. "Yeah?"

"We're gonna talk about Rachel later."

Kurt's mouth dropped open. He looked around the room for support and found none. Blaine wouldn't look him in the eye, Sam was grimacing, and Carson looked out right pissed. Kurt sighed. "Fine. But I don't understand _why_. It's already been dealt with."

"Don't try to get out of this Kurt. You don't tell me things I can't defend you. And if I can't do that what's gonna happen?"

"Dad."

Burt held up a hand and stood. He looked Kurt right in the eye. "I can't go through what we went through again. I am your father. It is my job to love you and protect you and I can't do that if you don't talk to me." Kurt bristled a little at the thought of being protected.

"I don't _need_ protecting dad. I'm not a girl! I can take care of myself."

"But you shouldn't have to. Rachel doesn't get a free pass to walk all over you because she's your friend. And I know you talk to that Karofsky kid sometimes and that's real honorable of you. I'm proud of you for facing him and helping him out after all that happened. But I don't like it. If I had my way Karofsky would be in some other state wearing a tracking collar." Kurt clucked his tongue and pointedly kept his eyes away from Carson. Burt didn't seem to realize all the ammo he was giving his other son. "We're gonna talk later. About Rachel and about anything else you're keeping from me."

"I'd just rather not stress you out."

"Kurt, my heart's fine. I passed my tests with flying colors. I'm healthy as an ox now. A little stress won't kill me. Finding out you're hurt, lyin' in a ditch somewhere because you wanted to keep secrets? That might."

Kurt sucked in a deep breath. "Dad! Don't. Don't say that. It was just a ballot box."

Burt held up his hand to stop Kurt's excuses. "It's not about it being a ballot box. It's about you not thinking it was something I should know. Go send off Blaine and put up your new...", Burt ran his fingers over the fleece with a furrowed brow, "pajamas..." The teenagers dispersed at Burt's words. Carson went straight up to Kurt's room to wait for him. Now that he had a name he wasn't going to let it go.

Karofsky had done something awful to Kurt. Something horrible that made it entirely plausible that Kurt would wind up dead in a ditch somewhere and no one would be surprised. Also Burt had some medical problems he hadn't been aware of. But that was for later. Kurt was use to bullying. He was used to being knocked around. Karofsky must have done something else, something to step things up. No matter how many years they spent apart, no matter how long Carson went without seeing Kurt's face or hearing his voice, he would never forget how to read his brother.

Quiet footsteps reach his ears. He doesn't want to turn yet. He's too afraid of what he'll see on his brother's face. He's afraid that what he'll see there will confirm exactly what he's thinking. That this guy, this Karofsky, did something so horrible to Kurt that he won't ever really get over it. The fact that Kurt talks to this guy is nothing short of miraculous. Where he holds grudges Kurt has always been on for forgiveness. It's admirable but one day it could get Kurt into serious trouble. Trouble that might start with Karofsky, the faceless villain that could be biding his time until Kurt is where he wants him. Carson clenches his fist and the burns along his wrist and hand stretch and stand out starkly on his skin. Maybe God was playing with him after all, striking him down for not paying better attention to his other half. "What did he do?" There was silence. Carson couldn't even hear Kurt breathing.

"He kissed me."

It was like his body was light on fire again with electricity. Carson felt like his heart was going to beat out of his chest and his lungs were going to collapse. To anyone else it was just a kiss. It was pathetic and childish and not worthy of attention. But Kurt wasn't just anybody. Kurt was gay and alone with no one at his back to keep him safe. A kiss was something small, a spark, the start of something bigger and more permanent and life changing. How close had Kurt come to being raped before someone noticed? Did their dad even know the truth? Probably not. Carson couldn't imagine Burt resting until Karofsky was behind bars if that had been the case. No, Kurt had downplayed the whole thing. He had lied to protect his dad, the only parent left he could cling to, the only family readily available to him. The brash and tactless way Sheryl handled him after the accident made Kurt almost obsessive in his need to keep their dad's approval. Like he was afraid someday Burt would wake up and stop loving him and then where would he be?

"Why didn't you call me?"

"I was scared."

Carson rounded his brother, face alight with fury, fists still clenched. "When I was scared I found a way to get to you." He didn't yell. He didn't need to. The stricken look on Kurt's face was proof that his point had gotten across.

"I didn't think I'd have anywhere to go." Kurt felt a drop of water hit his hand and watched it trail off onto the floor. When had he started crying? He was such a mess. He didn't understand why he couldn't just have one good day. "Dad was sick. He had a heart attack and he was in a coma. No one helped me. I needed help and everyone was so _angry_." He breathed out angry in a half garbled mess and Carson felt the hurt as clearly as it was his own. "I didn't want to pray. I wanted my dad." Kurt was crying in earnest now, face red and body trembling. Carson didn't move to hug him this time. He wanted everything out on the table. "When he woke up I was scared he wouldn't remember me. I was scared I wouldn't have anywhere to go." Kurt sniffed and started wiping his face. The pajamas he'd been holding fell to the floor. "Then Karofsky happened and I was so tired. I couldn't take it anymore. I was stupid and I snapped and...and he just..." Kurt covered his face with his hands and took a deep watery breath. "He grabbed my face and I thought it wouldn't end. He followed me around after that, touching me and making faces and I couldn't ask for help. Who would believe me? He threatened to kill me and it felt real and I left for a while."

"Then what? You came back and made friends?"

"No! No, I...I was lonely at Dalton. I was miserable and alone and I wanted to be closer to Dad. He'd just married Carol and I felt..." Kurt couldn't bring himself to say left out. He felt in those months every bit the outcast he had been after the accident before Sheryl left, like he was an interloper looking in on a happy family. Like he didn't fit. "Karofsky apologized and he left me alone. He said he was scared."

"People who are scared show what they're really like Kurt. He showed you he was a psychopathic rapist."

"No Carson. He showed me he was a scared little boy too afraid of Smear the Queer to come out." Kurt took a deep breath. "If I could hide who I was I would. If I could be more like you I would because even if it killed me inside I would at least know I'd _live_ to see a place where I could be myself."

"Did you send me a suicide note or an apology letter?"

Kurt looked surprised but it was buried under tears. "You didn't open it?"

"You said not to. Now I'm thinking I should have. Then I could have come down a lot sooner and put a stop to this."

Kurt threw his hands up in the air and took a step closer to Carson. "Put a stop to it? To what? You think you can just storm in here and make everything okay? Do you think that having you here would stop everyone from hurting me?"

Carson took a step closer until he was almost nose to nose with his brother. "Are you saying you don't want me here?"

"I _always_ want you here. I just don't think it would make a difference."

"It would for you."

Kurt looked away but didn't move. Carson watched closely, taking in the way his nostrils flared and his lip wobbled, the way his jaw clenched. How much was Kurt keeping from them? How many times had Kurt wanted, needed, to talk to him but held back because he was afraid of Sheryl? How many times did he lie in bed and wonder if living like that was worth it? It terrified him, the thought that Kurt, his darling barely older brother, danced on the edge of death everyday for reasons he couldn't control. And Kurt had information that could have saved him some grief. He could have told everyone Karofsky was gay. Or maybe not him, but he could have told one of his popular cheerleader friends to spread the rumor. That would have been the end of him. Kurt could have gotten even or blackmailed that kid for peace of mind. But he had too much honor. He had empathy. He thought that suffering would be better than wrecking someone elses life. Carson felt sick. How afraid were those two gay kids back at his school? How worried were they that he would go back on his promise or slip up and leave photos lying around? Did they lose sleep? Would they get kicked out? Would Kurt ever forgive him if he found out?

Carson started crying. He tried to hold it back. He didn't want his horror and guilt to show on his face. He just wanted to get out of Clover so damn bad. He wanted to make something of himself and stepping on a few people to get there didn't seem like a big deal. But seeing Kurt as the one getting stepped on killed him. He tried to step back, to get away from Kurt and the first wave of guilt he'd ever felt over his grand blackmail scheme. He couldn't get away though. Kurt surged forward and pulled Carson into a tight embrace, tucking Carson's face into his neck. His glasses pressed painfully into his temple and nose and it was welcome. He cried like a baby into Kurt's shoulder, angry at himself for what he'd done, for what Lima was doing to Kurt, for almost dying in a fucking freak accident. He cried and choked and wailed into Kurt's shoulder, wishing everything would just go back to the way it was before the accident.

In the hall, Burt and Sheryl watched the two of them, helpless for what to do. They'd come just in time for the crying and Burt could have kicked himself for missing whatever lead to it. Burt was willing to bet his health that Kurt had told Carson the whole truth about what had happened with Karofsky. Sheryl was shocked. Never, for as long as she could remember had she seen Carson cry like this. Not when she'd taken him away, not when her mother forgot his face, not when she got so drunk she forgot him at school, never. It tore at her heart and made her feel like a failure. She thought that despite everything Carson would be okay because he was smart and resilient. Neil was right about her.

**LINEBREAK**

Kurt Hummel had a twin. A twin who was nosy and bossy and rude and not like Kurt at all. How was it any of his business what happened between her and Kurt? Absolutely none. He had to go make a big deal out of nothing. They'd already settled it amongst themselves. She'd taken the blame, she'd got banned from competition, she got it marked on _her_ permanent record. There was no point in bringing it up to Mr. Hummel. He was a wonderful father, very progressive, but he held grudges for far too long. If he had any say she wouldn't be allowed back in the house for at least a month. And that just wasn't fair. Even if she had wronged Kurt and there was lingering mistrust between them she shouldn't be denied the right to see Finn.

Sweet, naïve Finn who was sitting dutifully next to her in the car after having chased dramatically after her. It was the silver lining of her current misfortune. "Is he always that rude?"

"I dunno, sometimes. But he like almost died a couple of days ago so..."

Rachel's mouth dropped open from shock and she snapped her head to the side to see Finn's face properly. "WHAT?" Finn jumped and looked at her like a frightened deer.

"Yeah he got struck by lightning at his school. His heart stopped for like a few seconds or something. That's why he's here."

So Kurt's devastated mental status had nothing to do with their impending futures being on the line. He was still processing the possibility that his estranged brother could have died. And if Kurt had a living twin brother he probably had a living mother. The woman from the hall! They had the same hair. Oh God, Kurt's morbid sense of humor didn't stem from finding his mother's lifeless body it came from the bitter sting of his mother's rejection and abandonment. It was yet another way they were similar. Where he had taken on morbid sensibilities she had taken to a compulsive need to be liked. It's why they were so alike. It all made sense now.

She could work with this. There was no reason why they couldn't further their bond of friendship over this. The closer they got the more seamlessly they could function together when they moved into an admittedly fabulous apartment in New York. "How long is he staying?"

"I don't know. Burt bought them open ended tickets. They might stay for the week, they might stay two."

"And they're living with you?"

Finn shifted and frowned. He knew that Rachel was trying to figure something out but he couldn't figure out what. "Not really. Carson stayed the night last night but Sheryl goes back to the hotel. And Carson was with her during school today."

"And Sheryl is Kurt's mother correct?"

"Yyyeeeaaah?" He said it slow like a question. He knew Sam had a point when he said it wasn't his business to tell but Rachel already knew so there wasn't any harm in giving her details. Right? It wasn't like she wouldn't find out anyways, eventually.

"He said she was dead."

"Well she is. Kind of. She was in a car accident and she got a pretty serious brain injury. She forgot about Kurt and her personality changed and stuff. Kurt and Burt said Kurt's mom _is_ dead. It's just Sheryl living in her body."

It was worse than she thought. If Kurt had been with them last year the sheer angst and trauma of his childhood could have written them a whole album of competition worthy songs. She wouldn't press him though. She knew all about the depression that stemmed from mothers who left then came back with new lives. When she was going through her own issues with Ms. Corcoran everyone had been tactful enough to give her space and time to decompress and grieve. Time was paramount to recovery. "Do you think Carson would appreciate a plate of I'm Sorry cookies?"

"I can't think of anyone who doesn't." Rachel melted under Finn's dopey smile. Everything would work out. Kurt would come out of all this stronger and if she played her cards right she could come out of this with a new friend as well. Carson would take one bite of her I'm Sorry cookies and see the light. He was Kurt's twin, he had to.

**LINEBREAK**

Sam knew that Rachel was storming off to her house and that Finn was with her. But there wasn't any point in trying to bring Finn back. She needed time to rant or cool down or whatever and she did that best if Finn was there to pretend to listen. He just figured he should give Kurt some family time with just his actually family. Mrs. Hudson, or Mrs. Hummel now, wasn't due back from work until after midnight. She was picking up her friend's shift. So he could either ride around town for a few hours or he could head over to someones house and figure out a good lie. No one was going to buy that he was just swinging by to hang out. Well the swim team might but he couldn't remember where any of them lived. And if the truth did come out by accident or Rachel told someone he didn't want to be somewhere where he would get hounded. That meant Mercedes was out. He loved her but she was scary where Kurt was concerned. His next best bet, and he couldn't believe he was saying it, was Puck. Puck might be a lot of things, but he was a family man. His dad was all kinds of messed up and if Kurt didn't want to talk about his mom Puck would leave it alone out of abandoned kid solidarity.

So he was going to Puck's house. He turned his car around and headed in that direction. He was in the Navigator and Kurt always kept a pack of sodas in the car. He could offer those up and who knows, maybe they could make a few calls and rig together a game tournament. As long as Puck knew something was up right away he'd cover for him. It didn't take long to get there and he let out a sigh of relief when he saw Puck's car in the driveway. The sodas were in the trunk, Dr. Pepper this time. He snatched them up and made his way to the door. Puck answered before he got to knock.

"Had enough of Sheryl?"

Sam stood stock still, completely shocked. "What? I don't know what you're talking about." Sam darted his head back and forth, looking for any possible witnesses that could hear them.

"Dude, chill. My neighbor is like three years older than dirt. She couldn't hear a tank driving through her living room." Puck stepped to the side to let Sam by. He hurried in quickly and handed Puck the sodas.

"How do you know about Sheryl?"

"I get around man." He had a smug look on his face. Sam raised a brow. "I get around. One of my pool ladies saw her getting off a plane in Columbus. Sheryl was big news back in the day." Puck shut his door and lead the way to his bedroom, casually tossing the pack of sodas onto his bed then flopping down after it. "She was the train wreck my mother aspires to be."

"Harsh dude, she has a brain injury." Sam kicked aside a bundle of dirty laundry and sat down. Puck snorted.

"I'm not sayin' she's a cool lady, just not a good mom. She went from homemade apple pies to an ABC Liquor frequent buyers card."

"So you knew Carson?"

"No. They went to some special school. But his mom was around a lot. She was a tutor for rich kids or something. A lot of my pool wives knew her. And about...I dunno, I guess Kurt was seven or eight, she had this huge freak out in Breadstix. We were there for Sarah's first birthday." Sam leaned forward. He was morbidly curious to know what had happened. He didn't want to invade in Kurt's privacy but Puck was going to tell him regardless, might as well pay attention. "They were all eating dinner and they had this big spaghetti platter they were sharing. Kurt wanted like the last meatball or something but he couldn't reach it. So he says 'Mommy can you help me?' and she just flipped out. She must have been holding it in for a while. She just stood up and started screaming about how she wasn't his mom and she didn't want anything to do with him and that he needed to stop hanging on her kid. Burt was pissed. He took Kurt and Carson outside and left her there. It wasn't long after that when she packed up and left."

Sam let out a slow deep breath. That was crazy. "Did she at least look a little upset with herself?"

"Kind of but it took her a while to calm down. Is she not as crazy now?"

"She was a little _intense_ when she first got here but she's okay now. She seems like a pretty laid back lady. I just wanted to give them some alone time. Plus they started talking about the bullying and it was a little awkward."

"I got ya. We'll call some guys, set up a tournament." Puck held out his fist and they bumped. Then he snatched up his phone and started texting everyone. Within the hour the house was filled with the guys from glee, minus Finn who hadn't responded. No one else had mentioned anything about Sheryl or Carson so Sam relaxed. They plunged into a team death match on Call of Duty, taking turns and talking trash to trip each other up. Sam lagged behind his usual average, getting sniped left and right. His head just wasn't in it. Puck on the other hand was in true form, racking up kills like he did sexual conquests. He obviously wasn't too bothered by why Carson was in town. As he passed the controller off to Arty he wondered who else in the club knew about Kurt's family. He was the only outsider. It was hard to believe that anyone in glee could keep that kind of secret. The way rumors swirled around at McKinley it was hard to believe that there were still people who thought he came from Texas instead of Tennessee. Whatever Jacob didn't cover Lauren or the Cheerios knew and spread.

People at school were going to have a field day. This whole thing wouldn't be a secret much longer and once it was out it was going to blow up. Not only would people rag on Kurt for his mom taking off they would either harass Carson for being gay, or assume he was straight and harass Kurt for his lifestyle _choice_. Then Burt was going to flip out. Which was bad because he was in Congress now and people were super aware of everything he did nowadays. And how did the general populace not find out about Sheryl and Carson during the election? That seemed like the exact type of thing people would did up for a smear campaign. Of course it did explain why Burt never put Kurt or Finn in their campaign ads, to protect Carson.

Across town Rachel was thinking about the possible rumor explosion as well. Finn was a little shaky on the details of Kurt's relationship with Carson over the years and he was reluctant to talk about it. So naturally her mind went crazy with ideas. He was very protective of Kurt, a wonderful quality, but he was rude so it was quite possible that he trampled all over Kurt as well. Then there was the fact that she didn't remember Carson at all. She prided herself on knowing all the important movers and shakers in their tiny town. If she was going to make it someday it was important to make networks everywhere. She'd seen Kurt in passing as a child in dance classes but she'd moved to a different studio shortly after. To her knowledge there had never been a similar little boy waiting outside.

So that lead her to the conclusion that Carson was not interested in the dramatic arts, or he was and wasn't as driven as herself. That was very likely as it was difficult to find anyone as driven as her. Kurt was a close second but he took days off, which were completely unacceptable in her book. So Carson wasn't going to usurp Finn's position in the club if he stayed. But he could draw Kurt's attention away from competition which was equally bad. If Kurt lost focus their dreams of NYADA would blur at the edges and she would accept nothing less than a crystal clear picture of their shared ambitious future. Rachel stirred her cookie dough with a renewed vigor. If she started now they could plan for a future together. Reuniting Kurt with his brother might just fill the gaping hole left in her spirit after her own mother decided to start anew without her. Plus rent split three ways would be a tremendous help.

"The general populace of McKinley is going to figure this out before Thanksgiving break you know."

Finn nodded, looking solemn. "Kurt's really worried about that."

Rachel set her dough aside to check the oven. "The key Finn, is controlled publicity. When stars have a scandal brewing they sell their story to a tabloid or schedule and interview with a trusted talk show host. That's what we need to do."

"Uh, don't you mean that's what Kurt needs to do?"

Rachel shrugged her shoulders and smoothed down her skirt. She was trying to think of the best way to explain things. "Well it is Kurt's story but it's kind of public domain isn't it? There must be loads of people who know about Sheryl and Carson. Also, Kurt will want to keep things as clean and painless as possible. If he tries to pitch his story things will get emotional and it'll get messy. The same is true with all great stars."

"Yeah, okay. So we should just leave it alone right?"

"No. We should organize the whole thing. We would be like Kurt's managers, his publicity agents."

Finn furrowed his brow and kept his eyes on the counter top. It was easier to think when he couldn't see Rachel's crazy intense eyes trying to push him towards an answer. "But Kurt didn't ask us to. And if we did who would we even go to?"

Rachel reached out and put her hand on top of Finn's. She squeezed gently and rubbed her thumb over the skin there. "We're his friends. He shouldn't have to ask for favors like this." She smiled and tried to catch Finn's eye. "We can talk with Jacob. He'll do anything I ask and you can make sure he doesn't get inappropriate with me. He'll be thrilled to take a story like this."

To Finn, once you pushed past the initial wrongness and guilt, it sounded like a good plan. When that old Larry guy told everyone about sleeping with those interns no one cared because he owned up to it. At school people had treated him like shit for getting Quinn pregnant and trying to hide it, but when Puck came out and told the truth everyone took his side and tried to help him out. It could work. Kurt did want to be famous some day and Carson wanted to write for some fancy magazine. Leaking a little scandal story could be good practice for both of them.

"Okay, but we have to be super careful about this. If we do it wrong Burt will be pissed."

Rachel jumped away from him with a squeal and started clapping her hands. "I'll call Jacob just as soon as I get the cookies in the oven!" She began rolling the dough and cutting out the cookies. In between placing them and smacking Finn's hands away she formulated the outline of her pitch. She wanted to think of the title herself, if she left it to Jacob he was likely to make a derogatory comment. Thinking about it now, she'd have to proof read the whole thing before it went to the site or print. If she could get him to come over tonight they could have the whole thing done by tomorrow.

She slid the pan into the oven and motioned for Finn to follow her up to her room. Once they were settled she took a deep breath and dialed Jacob's number. He answered immediately. If Rachel weren't so eager to get things done she would be worried. "Hello Jacob."

"Rachel Berry, how can I be of assistance?"

She wrinkled her nose at the sound of his heavy breathing and overly interested tone. "I have a story for you to run."

"Glee club drama is a dime a dozen."

"It's about Kurt's estranged brother and amnesiac mother. I'll tell you everything I know but you have to let me proofread it."

Over the line Rachel could hear him scrambling to grab something then furious typing. "You have proof?"

"Living, breathing proof." Rachel nodded resolutely to Finn and smiled at him. There was no reason for him to be worried. Kurt would appreciate the work she was putting in.

"I'll be there in twenty minutes."

And that was that. By dinner tonight all of Jacob's followers and all of their friends would know about Kurt's tragic past. Tormentors would turn into sympathizers. Gossip hungry girls would leave him be because they'd already have the details they craved. And Kurt would get to experience the feeling of having his name in a tabloid and watching the masses mourn with him and cheer for him. She was such a good friend.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter: 9  
Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or SBL.  
A/N: The kids are fighting back in this one, telling their parents how to parent. Should be interesting.

**LINEBREAK**

The next morning Finn woke up feeling decidedly less than proud with himself. Now that he was out of Rachel's range of vision he was thinking a little clearer. There was a pooling feeling of dread in his stomach. As much as Kurt wanted to make it big on Broadway he would probably become one of those ninja celebrities that only got their photos taken at events. Finn groaned and buried his face in his pillow. Why couldn't he have thought of that last night? Why did Rachel only make sense until after things couldn't be changed? Finn groaned again and threw himself out of bed. It couldn't be that bad. No one took Jacob seriously. No one liked him. No one cared what he had to say. There was a good chance that no one even saw the post and everything's going to go on like normal. There's no reason to panic. There's like billions and billions of blogs on the internet that say all kinds if crazy things about everyone and no one makes a big deal out of those. It was much more likely that the article went belly up than viral.

Finn stumbles around his room to get dressed and heads downstairs for breakfast feeling a bit lighter than when he woke up, but still a little guilty. He tries to pass it off as an upset stomach but he doesn't think anyone believes him because he ends up eating two plates of pancakes. As he heads out the door he sees Sheryl passed out on the couch and can't help but feel that no matter what happens at school today, it's better than what must have happened the night before at home. He ended up not being right.

Sheryl woke to the sound of Finn slamming the door then Sam running outside moments later only slightly less quiet. She could smell pancakes. If she couldn't drink first thing in the morning, a plate full of butter soaked pancakes would make a decent enough substitute. Slowly she eased herself into the kitchen. She was a bit wary of seeing Carole. So far the woman had bordered between cordial and discreet distaste. It was obvious she was trying to tread the line between keeping Kurt happy and showing Burt exactly how betrayed she felt about the whole secret. Sheryl couldn't understand why he hadn't come clean. A nice, hard working guy like Burt would have gained nothing but brownie points for laying out the whole sordid tale.

Carole was in fact in the kitchen. She was eating her pancakes, looking half asleep. Sheryl tried not to show her wariness and strode into the kitchen to make herself a plate. Carole gave her a passing glance but it held no heat. It had more to do with how tired she was than anything. She'd worked the graveyard shift and was only still awake because she hadn't eaten in nearly ten hours. When Sheryl sat down across from her she closed her eyes and gathered her strength. Burt had told her what had happened the night before with Kurt and Carson, how they'd argued about the bullying and broke down crying. If she were in Sheryl's position she'd make a comment about her not knowing enough about her kid's life. No better way to attack a mother than to mention the problems with the child. She got through another thick pancake before Sheryl made her move.

"So Kurt keeps secrets?"

Ah, so Sheryl was going to comment on her lack of observation. Fair enough, she hadn't known what was going on with Kurt or Finn at school. "He likes his privacy."

Sheryl snorted and took a big bite. She swallowed and pointed her fork at Carole's face. "Carson once hid a broken foot for two weeks. He hid it by saying he was writing an investigative piece on the treatment of cripples in public schools."

Carole laughed and quickly hid her mouth behind her hand. It wasn't really a laughing matter. Carson had been injured. But seriously? "Why'd he hide it?"

"He said he didn't want everyone and their mother asking about his cast."

"How did he break his foot?"

"Jumping out of his convertible. Stress fracture."

Carole nodded and traced through the syrup on his plate with his fork. So Sheryl wasn't going to go for the throat. She wasn't exactly a picture perfect mother either, like at all. Her first impression had led her to believe Sheryl would be petty. It was Kurt. She'd felt it too. It was hard to be angry when you looked at his sweet little face and wide blue eyes. He must have had Sheryl wrapped around his little finger before the accident. And she'd had two. Sheryl and Burt hadn't stood a chance in those early years. "Burt had a heart attack. We were still just dating and Finn comes home and tells me Burt's in a coma and no one's seen Kurt. It was a long week. Kurt's friends said and did some things they shouldn't have and I'm sure Kurt said some nasty things back. After Burt woke up Kurt got obsessed. He looked after Burt like he was an invalid."

"Smothered him within an inch of his life huh?"

"Oh yes. New diet, new routine, constant supervision. I don't know how Burt kept himself sane."

Sheryl put down her fork and took a deep breath in and out. "After the accident, you know, after I came home and actually settled into the idea that I had this other kid, he hovered. He wouldn't talk to me because I yelled at him a lot in the hospital. But he'd stand on the edge of the room just watching me. It didn't help me deal with things."

"He was worried. I can't even imagine..."

Sheryl nodded once. "I felt bad about it. Still do. I wanted to come back but I couldn't. I'm a wreck." Sheryl gestured to her front. "Look at me. I couldn't come back here and see him all grown up and doing fine after what I'd done with myself. I just didn't want to face him. And I don't...I guess I don't _love_ him. I don't hate him I just don't love him or anything. I can't. I don't know him. I haven't seen him in years. He's just some kid."

Patients with amnesia often got depressed when they thought about what they'd lost. Carole didn't deal with them in her ward but she had a friend up in brain trauma. She could understand why Sheryl had struggled and left. What she couldn't understand was pride so intense that she couldn't come back when it would've made her happy. She just couldn't. But Kurt would understand. He was stubborn and prideful. He would walk through fire and smile if it meant someone didn't get the satisfaction of seeing him frown. He was his mother's son, there was no doubt about it. Sheryl may not realize it yet but they were still so alike.

"For what it's worth, when I met Kurt he was just some kid. I was interested in Burt but I didn't think it'd go this far. I thought I'd have a little fun and we'd go our separate ways. I'm glad I didn't. I'm glad I got to know them both. Kurt is...he's so different from Finn. What I would have done for a kid like him after my husband died, you have no idea. Sometimes he's frustrating, really very frustrating. But it's hard to stay mad at him. Especially when he looks so sad all the time."

"Anyone ever...beat him up?"

"Not that I know of, that we know of. But with Kurt who really knows?"

Sheryl nodded. There wasn't much else to say. Kurt had a shit little life here in Lima. It could be worse but it wasn't the sunny existence she'd imagined him having. Life probably would have worked out better for everyone if she'd only remembered Kurt. Carson would have fared better in Lima and Kurt would have kept her out of the bottle. The vicious way he'd denied Burt beer the night before was evidence enough of that. But she took Carson and ruined them both. Funny how that worked out. Looking back she could almost pinpoint the moment her life went to hell. And it wasn't on a stretch of back road in a heap of twisted metal. It was in the driveway of Burt's old house when she hauled Carson into that car and turned the key.

Before she knew it Carole was gone, upstairs in bed and she was alone in the kitchen. The pancakes were cold and too soggy to be eaten. She didn't feel much like eating anymore. Sheryl folded her arms on the table and put her head down. She'd acted like a kid the whole time Carson was in the hospital, bitching about Burt and his "perfect" life and a snooty spoiled kid. She seriously considered not calling Burt at all. How messed up was that? How petty was she that she'd let a man go on thinking his own flesh and blood was out and around when they were dead and buried or confined to a hospital bed. She was a real piece of work. She was at least half the things Neil claimed she was. And what made it worse was that Kurt had been nothing but accommodating. He didn't scream at her or play the wounded and bitter child. He'd focused his attention on making Carson feel better and he'd treated her with respect. He wasn't exactly warm to her and she didn't deserve it, but he'd been civil. She should have done the right thing all those years ago and left by herself.

The fact that both of her sons, because it was undeniable that Kurt was her son, were either living in disaster or heading for it hadn't escaped her notice. She knew about the blackmail. She'd turned a blind eye to it because it meant Carson was going to get out of Clover and make something of himself. That had been a bad choice. She was a mother. She was suppose to teach her kid right from wrong regardless of his age or whatever mess she'd made of her own life. If Kurt's chances at college could be ruined because of a stuffed ballot box Carson would have no chance if anyone found out what he did. Carson hadn't been nearly as covert as he thought. Sure the actual contents of the blackmail weren't public knowledge yet, kind of the point really, but there were people who knew something was going on. Sudden interest in the school literary magazine by the popular kids wasn't something to go unnoticed. If Carson had been smarter about the whole thing he would have gone after some losers. Carson really should have had more common sense. Hell, she should have more. She could have stopped the whole thing. Carson could have done something else to get a leg up. He could have gone online and got together a magazine from teens all across America. He could have written a series of short stories. He could have asked the teachers to make the students do a writing assignment for extra credit. But blackmail was just so much more exciting wasn't it?

Sheryl stood swiftly from the table, almost knocking the chair over, and started up the stairs. This was going to end now. Burt can think whatever he wants about her mothering but he wasn't on top of Kurt either. She was doing something about it now that's what mattered. She threw open Kurt's bedroom door, startling Kurt and Carson. The two of them jumped awake and sprung apart from each other. Carson groaned and curled in, his painkillers had long since worn off. "Mom, what?"

"Carson is blackmailing kids to write in his magazine so he can get into Northwestern."

Kurt gaped at her for a moment, then turned a glare on his brother. "You WHAT?! That's illegal Carson!"

Carson groaned and struggled to pull himself up to sit. "I'm not hurting anyone."

"Says you! What kind of secrets are you threatening to let out?"

There it was, a look of genuine guilt etched onto Carson's face as plain as day. Sheryl wasn't sure what he had on some of these kids but it was apparent that Kurt would not like it one bit. And Carson knew it. Maybe he hadn't cared when he got the information for blackmail but now that he had to face Kurt he cared a whole lot. "I'm not going to let anything out. I'm just saying I might."

Kurt climbed out of bed and stood at the foot of the bed. His face was the picture of rage and disappointment. "Do you have any idea what that's like? What it's like to wake up every morning and wonder if going to school is going to be a death sentence?"

"I'm not going to tell!"

"THEY DON'T KNOW THAT! They don't! They wake up and wonder if the shoe is going to drop and it's terrifying. Not knowing, that fear, that's almost worse than having your secret out there. It makes you sick." Kurt took a few breaths and looked towards Sheryl. He was just as disappointed with her as he was with Carson. How could she condone something like that? Why wasn't she stepping up and being a parent? Why did he have to be the one to yell? He looked back at Carson. It was impossible to catch his eye. Carson was looking down at his scared hand, which was clenched in a fist. "Why?"

Carson sighed. "Clover isn't any better than Lima. It's a dead in town in the middle of nowhere. I don't want to stay there. I want to be something."

"Then work hard for it."

Carson looked Kurt right in the eye. "You think that's enough? Do you think that if I work hard and want it bad enough I'll just get an acceptance letter? Because I won't. I'm not rich. I didn't go to private school. My club is a joke and having a 4.0 GPA in a D school is about as meaningful as getting a degree out of a Cracker Jack box. You have to set yourself apart."

"And you're going to do that by standing on other people?"

"I'm helping them."

Kurt snarled and threw his hands out to the side. He was so angry he couldn't think straight. His own brother was one of the people he despised. "How Carson? How are you helping them?"

"They all think they're stuck there. They think they don't mean anything, that they have to settle for a nine to five job at gas station or a diner right after graduation."

"So what? You're teaching them that all it takes to get past that is to step on other people? Aggression and backstabbing are the key to success? Not hard work and sacrifice?"

Carson's head thunked back on the headboard. He was tired. "That's how it is Kurt. I know you want to see the best in people but there's not a lot of good to see okay. Out there, in Chicago, in New York, in big business, you don't get anywhere by being honest. You have to do things that aren't okay."

"You should put an end to it Carson. You can't keep—"

Kurt rounded to Sheryl, fire in his eyes. "Yell at him! Tell him he's wrong and punish him!" He stepped closer to her and she could just make out the tears building in his eyes. "Be his mother! You wanted him so damn bad. You were convinced you could do a better job. Then do it! Don't act like someone who's passing through. Act like his _mother_!" Kurt stormed past her, running down the stairs, barely pausing to grab a pair of shoes near the door. Carson jumped out of bed and ran after him, nearly knocking Sheryl down to get past. He caught Kurt as he opened the door.

"Kurt, I'm sorry okay. I was stupid and desperate and—"

"Don't! I don't want to talk to you right now." Kurt pulled away and stepped outside. He wasn't wearing a jacket and his breath was coming out in little puffs of steam. "I might say something I regret." He spoke more to himself than Carson and stepped off the porch without waiting for a response. No one came after him, which he was thankful for. By now most people were at work or school so the streets were empty. He could walk in peace.

His feet carried him along the well kept sidewalks of the better residential neighborhoods then out to the half finished developments. He walked past those until the houses went from being far and few in between to absent all together. His whole body was wracked with cold and he could barely feel his fingers but he kept walking. Before he knew it he was standing in the middle of an empty road with fields on either side. There was an abandoned farm house in the distance. It was brown and rotted out with water damage and termites. Once upon at time it had been a bright cherry red and the fields around it had housed horses and rolled hay bales. Kurt remembered it well. His mother died in this very intersection. It was the rancher that owned that barn who had come running out to help them. He'd pulled glass from Kurt's neck and held him still until paramedics arrived.

Of course he'd walked there. Of course, because even his subconscious wanted him to suffer. It wasn't enough that Carson was turning out to be a heartless criminal. It wasn't enough that his dad was going to probe into his private life until he was metaphorically naked and violated. No, he just had to end up in the one place he hated more than William McKinley high school.

If he concentrated hard enough he could still see the twisted metal and broken glass strewn across the asphalt. The now straight and shiny stop sign was bent and covered in dirt and black grease. There was blood on the grass underneath his mother's head, pooling out. And all he could hear was his too fast heartbeat. All he could smell was blood and gasoline. He was breathing quick, taking in too much frozen air and burning his lungs and drying out his throat. His chest felt tight and his limbs felt like nothing at all. It was just too much. Kurt staggered to the side of the road and doubled over. He threw up a slimy bile filled mess in the dying grass and panted over it.

Everything had just turned out wrong. He hadn't yelled at her and demanded answers. He hadn't rubbed it in her face how well he was doing. He hadn't shown her how much he still wanted her and needed her after all this time. And being with Carson, it wasn't what he thought it would be. It was great. It was breathtaking and heartbreaking and so so needed. But it wasn't what he thought. The two of them had grown up so much and they weren't just teenagers anymore. They were messed up and bitter and yearning for something else, anything else and they just didn't fit the way he wanted. He wanted his brother back, his Carson. The boy who hated the Power Rangers on principle and wanted to be the Quentin Tarantino to his Uma Thurman.

It wasn't going to happen. The two of them weren't going to run off into the sunset together and share an apartment in New York. They weren't going to hang out together and confuse people by switching names and jackets. They weren't going to argue over who ate the last piece of ham or who took the last sip of orange juice. They weren't. Their time had come and gone and it wasn't their fault but it happened. Sheryl took Carson away and stole the only chance Kurt had to be with his brother. Growing up didn't just mean changing houses and schools and jobs. It meant giving things up and putting things away. Life was done giving things to them, now they had to fight and kick and scream to hold on to what they had. And Kurt was losing his grip.

He knew, deep down, he knew. He'd known the second Sheryl agreed to come visit what it meant. That this was the last time he'd see Carson, really see him. He couldn't even enjoy it because what he'd seen wasn't any good. His last memory of having Carson tangibly in front of him would be forever tainted by the knowledge that Carson was a bully. He'd forgiven Finn and he'd forgiven David but he couldn't give this up. Carson was suppose to be better. Carson was suppose to know what it felt like to have life tear you to pieces and to have secrets gnawing on your soul. He wasn't making something out of nothing here. The look on Carson's face said it all. He was guilty. He was hiding something from Kurt that would ruin their relationship forever. Oh God, oh God. Kurt sat up on his knees and covered his mouth with both his hands, his fingers pressed together over his nose. Carson was probably blackmailing a gay kid. He had to be. If it were anything else Carson wouldn't have cried so hard the night before. That was what it had to be. Carson was playing God with someone's life and he didn't even understand it for what it was.

Sheryl. Sheryl _knew_. She knew Carson was doing something wrong and immoral and it didn't matter if Carson had good intentions or not. She should have stopped it. She should have told him it wasn't worth it. She should have grounded him and yelled at him, and treated him like a child. But she was acting like a disappointed friend. Kurt crawled away from his vomit, uncaring of his jeans, and laid out in a dry patch of grass. It was cold and irritating on his numbing skin but he didn't care. He just didn't care. Sheryl had fought for Carson. She'd told him he was worthless and strange and not hers at all but she'd fought for Carson. And Dad had just given him away. He'd given her everything, every chance to get better, to move on, and he'd signed away Kurt's brother to a stranger. And she couldn't even be bothered to look after him properly. It was like she had just taken Carson to keep Kurt from having him. What was the point? To punish _him_? To remind him each and every day that not even his mother wanted him to be happy anymore?

Kurt laid there for a while longer, waiting until the cold started to seep so far into him it was hard to move. Then he pulled himself up and kept his eyes down, away from the street where the wreck had happened. Finding his way home was a little harder. He'd been outside all day. School was letting out and the streets weren't empty anymore. With every step he took it felt like there was someone staring at him, judging him. Well they could go jump off a cliff. He was having an emotional crisis. He couldn't be on all the time. He was allowed to look like shit once in a while. It's not like they were in top form all the time, if ever. The closer he got to the more populated areas of town, the more apparent it became that it wasn't just teenagers staring at him. There were a few adults sending him wide eyed looks as well. Kurt ducked into an alley and looked himself over. He wasn't covered in vomit or grass. He jeans were wrinkled and dirty but he didn't look homeless. What were they looking at?

To avoid as many prying eyes as possible Kurt tried to stay off the main streets. It would take him longer, and his feet were aching at the thought, but cutting through residential streets would get him home with more dignity. He tried to pull himself together as much as possible, unwilling to let Sheryl and Carson see weakness. As much as he didn't want to, he was going to go home and calmly ask Carson what the hell he thought he was doing back in Clover. He couldn't change what had happened but he could try and get some remorse from his brother. Together they could think of something. And maybe Carson would find a way to make it up to him for having a part in setting back the gay rights movement in small towns. He made it all the way to Quinn's street before he realized nothing could be that simple.

"Kurt...or Carson...I'm sorry I don't know which."

Kurt turned to face Judy Fabray with a tired face. "It's Kurt."

"Darling I think you might want to come inside."

"I'm not that cold. I just want to go home."

Judy dithered and stepped down from her porch. Her face was drawn and sad. "Kurt, darling, I really think you should come in. I can give you a ride home. Or maybe Quinn. You shouldn't be walking." There was something about the tone of her voice that made Kurt pause. It wasn't just a concerned mother standing up on that porch. She knew something. Kurt wasn't as intuitive as his brother, but he had enough situational awareness to know something had happened while he was out. At best his dad was calling every glee club parent he knew to track him down. At worst Sheryl had gone on some sort of rampage through town. He cautiously made his way up to her, shrugging out from under her hand when she tried to touch his shoulder.

"Thank you. For the ride."

She smiled. It was sad and painful. "Of course. Just let me get my keys. You come and wait inside alright."

Kurt stood in the Fabray Manor entryway, staring at the grand staircase and the highly polished marble floors. He'd been here before, back with a large framed family photo hung by the door. In its place now was a series of smaller photos of Quinn at various ages. Right in the center there was a picture of her when she still went by Lucy. It was nice. It looked like Judy was doing okay all things considered. Kurt looked away at the sound of jingling keys. Judy had a thick fleece coat on and a feminine looking pea coat draped over her arm.

"It's Quinn's but it's just for the ride over. My car takes a while to heat up."

"We can wait if you want." He spoke as he was reaching for the coat. Even if it was a girl's cut it was still gorgeous, and he didn't want to be rude to her. She got enough of that around town recently.

"No. I think you're being missed at home by now."

"Did my dad call?"

"Oh...no, no. Sheryl actually."

That was surprising. And where had she gotten Judy's number? Kurt patted his pockets. He'd left his phone at home. Between Sheryl, Carson, and Carole, everyone in glee club, and their parents must have been called. He pulled on the jacket with a wane smile. The two of them went out to her car, a sleek silver minivan that Kurt was well acquainted with. She'd taken it to every Cheerios event Quinn had been a part of and most of the glee performances after Quinn's pregnancy. He slid into the heated seats with a moan. He hadn't realized exactly how cold he'd been. Judy was tactful enough not to make much more of a fuss, instead starting the car immediately and backing out of her driveway without a word. They were in front of Kurt's house in no time at all. They weren't alone though. Jacob Ben Israel was standing on his front lawn, getting screamed at by Carson. Sheryl was standing on the porch, yelling into a phone. Kurt looked over at Judy, who was watching everything with an open mouth and wide eyes. Kurt huffed and jumped out of the car, slamming the door behind him and charging up behind Jacob.

"What are you doing here?!"

Jacob rounded on him and shoved a microphone so roughly in Kurt's face that it hit his nose and scraped off to the side. "So it's true. My exclusive interview with Rachel Berry and Quarterback Finn Hudson revealed that you have an estranged evil twin brother and a mentally defunct mother. What do you have to say about these accusations?" Never in all of his experience with Jacob had Kurt ever resorted to violence to deal with him. Violence begot violence and he didn't stand for it. But this was too much. Kurt saw red and snatched the microphone from Jacob's hand and threw it as hard as he could. It shattered on the driveway behind them, narrowly missing the side of Judy's car.

"My life is none of your Goddamn business Israel!" Jacob looked appropriately shocked. Kurt was one of the few people he legitimately never feared retribution from. He was right to be worried. Now that the microphone was disabled, Kurt set his sights on Jacob's camera, which he also threw to the ground. "Listen to me you insufferable little mouth breather! If I find out that your blog has even a whisper of my personal life still on it by five o'clock tonight I will find you. I will call every single person you have wronged in this town and I will organize the largest lynch mob this town has seen since segregation. By the morning your life will be so devastated that you will dream for the day when you can legally change your name and move to Oymyakon!"

Jacob blinked slowly, still processing the threat leveled at him. "Where is that exactly?"

"It is the coldest, harshest place in the depths of the Russian tundra and it will pale in comparison to the icy hell that will be waiting for later today. Are we clear?"

"C-crystal." Jacob ran past Kurt, not bothering to pick up the shattered remains of his camera and microphone. Kurt clenched his fists and tried to slow his quick breathing and frantic heart. He could dimly hear Sheryl on the phone talking to his father presumably. Carson was leaning against the porch railing, turned towards Kurt, face read. Kurt couldn't wait to get his hands around Rachel's neck. But Finn would be first. They were suppose to be past all of this. Finn was his brother now. This was unacceptable!

A hand came to rest on his lower back and he growled, pulling away from it. He heard Judy gasp but didn't say sorry. He charged up the stairs and into the house, pushing past Sheryl who halfheartedly called after him. Finn's truck was on the curb. He was in the house somewhere, hiding. He tore through the house, yanking open doors and tossing aside anything in his way. Carson was following behind him at a safe distance. Finn was up in the attic, sitting half behind a stack of boxes. Kurt screams when he finds him, angry and deep. Finn tries to scoot back but Kurt scrambles up the ladder and lunges at Finn, knocking him down. He grabs fist fulls of Finn's shirt and holds him down, then leans down in his face, mouth curled down in a sneer. He opens his mouth but he has nothing to say. His chest is heaving and he's crying like crazy and he just wants to hit Finn so, so bad. "How could you?" Kurt is shaking over Finn, sobbing. He feels so much worse than he did on the road. He just wanted a break. Just one day when the world didn't conspire against him to make his life hell.

"I thought...Rachel and I thought—"

"You didn't think! You don't think about _anything_ but yourselves!" Kurt leans forward, quick and sloppy, and screeches in Finn's face. Then Carson is pulling him away, out of the attic and down the hall into his room. He pushes Kurt down onto his bed and tugs off Kurt's shoes and wrestles him out of the jacket. Kurt's phone is on the bedside table and vibrating like crazy. Blaine had been the first one to text. At first Carson had been annoyed at the constant alerts but then he started to feel a sense of foreboding. Once he saw what Blaine had to say he went bat shit crazy. The heated argument from the morning hadn't woken Carole but his furious fit after the text had.

She'd come running, not knowing yet that Kurt was out somewhere alone. Kurt's named had died on her lips the second she saw him but the concern stuck. She'd called for Sheryl and together they calmed him down enough to figure out what was going on. At that point they hadn't realized who spilled the news. Carson_ knew_, he just couldn't prove it. He hadn't known Rachel had a part in it. If he wasn't so fucking pissed at that Jacob kid he'd thank him for revealing his source. He'd take care of that later though, when Kurt wasn't so unsteady. He'd never seen Kurt lash out at anybody like that. A vicious battle of wits, definitely. Yelling at someone until they cried, sure. Actual destruction of property and attempted violence, never. He kind of liked it. Kurt needed to stand up for himself more.

It was kind of good that Kurt had left to wander off wherever. If he'd been around to receive Blaine's call he probably would have gotten in his car and driven straight to New York, to hell with high school and graduation. It irritated Sheryl a little, the way Kurt was so wary of everyone knowing. She just didn't understand what kind of shit could happen to Kurt if things got out. Carson understood it perfectly. He was at the helm of a massive blackmailing scheme at the moment. Their not quite a secret family scandal would follow Kurt around like a raging storm cloud until he crossed the city limits and went on until the sign was faded over the horizon. Kurt was always one for dramatics.

With Kurt tucked into the bed and still unresponsive Carson snatched the still buzzing cell phone from the nightstand and sent a quick text to Blaine. 'Found him. Upset. Come over.' If Blaine knew what was good for him he'd drop everything and come over with a plate of cheesecake or a huge ass bowl of sweet peas. If Kurt still ate those. Carson wanted to storm off and give Finn a piece of his mind and maybe his fist, but violence wasn't really his thing. Not because he was opposed to it morally, but because he just couldn't be bothered to deal with the subsequent consequences and animosity. So far Carole had been nothing but kind to him and Burt slipped back into the role of his dad like he'd never stopped, he didn't want to risk burning bridges here just yet. Depending on how Finn acted later, Carson might decide it's worth it.

Beside him Kurt is quiet, staring sadly at his wall. Carson sees his record player just off to the side. He rolls out of the bed and crosses to it. The White Album is still sitting in the player. It's good to know that hasn't changed, even if it's sad. Carson places the needle at the start and switches the player on. When Carson steps away to get back on the bed Kurt reaches out and grabs his hand. His thumb strokes over the burns there softly. Carson reaches out with his other hand and messes up Kurt's hair. He can just barely hear Kurt's frustrated huff over the music. Instead of rounding the bed Carson climbs up and over Kurt, lying on top of him for a moment and squishing him into the bed.

"Get off. I can't breathe."

"Are you calling me fat?"

"Yes." Carson huffs and rocks side to side on Kurt, pushing him down into the bed, just like they use to when they were kids. Carson gets a smile for his efforts and finally rolls off once Kurt lets out a little giggle.

"If I'm fat, you're fat."

"No, you're fat, I'm toned."

Carson pokes Kurt in the side. "Muscle weighs more than fat." Kurt grunts and they drift off into silence. The happy mood doesn't hold for long. The longer the Beatles play in the background, the more sombre Kurt grows. It's killing Carson to know that Finn is right upstairs, hiding like a coward in the attic. Carole knows by now, she has to. When Jacob showed up, ringing the doorbell like a girl scout one cookie box away from a badge, she was the one to answer the door. They'd talked a little, or Jacob had talked at her, then Carole had stormed off to the living room looking upset. That's when Carson and Sheryl got to Jacob and started the shouting match outside. If Jacob had shown up just a few minutes sooner he would have pulled up right alongside Finn and then things would have gone a lot differently. Carson imagined himself yanking the microphone from Jacob's hand and shoving it down Finn's throat.

They get through a couple more songs before Kurt's phone rings again. It's Blaine, and he's coming up. Carson tells him not to bother if he doesn't have food. Kurt might be okay with just sweet kisses but Carson isn't so easily pleased. He doesn't get a reply but he hears footsteps on the stairs. When Blaine comes in he's holding a package of Oreos and a box of Honey Graham Teddy Bears. He edges into the room, worry etched clearly on his face. He hands over the cookie bears and trades places with Carson. Kurt curls into him and begins crying into Blaine's neck. The sound hardens Carson's resolve. He watches Blaine comfort his brother, and eats a few cookies. He wants to approach Finn collected. He doesn't want to forget about anything once he starts in.

Once he's calmed himself down sufficiently and he's got all of the points he wants to make ready to go he sets the bear cookies down and heads out. He shuts Kurt's door behind him, not wanting Kurt to get upset and intervene half way through. In the den Sheryl and Carole are sitting across from each other, both angry and upset, but not looking at each other. Finn there, sitting in an arm chair and trying to look small. Carson was just about to start his rant when Sheryl caught his eye. She stared him down and pointed to the seat beside her. Of all the times to decide to be a parent, now was not the time Carson wanted. But he could wait. Finn wasn't going anywhere. And he sure as hell wasn't until he'd said his piece. Sheryl hesitantly patted Carson's thigh, keeping her hand there for comfort when he didn't shrug her away. Finn kept glancing to the empty seat beside Carole. So they were waiting for Burt.

The four of them sat in silence. If Sam was home he was making himself seem non-existent. Carson couldn't imagine Burt taking his time to get home for something like this. When he and Kurt were kids Burt had burst into their first grade classroom guns blazing because a volunteer mother had made fun of them for holding hands. Carson wouldn't be surprised if any minute now Burt simply materialized in the room out of sheer force of will.

It was not quite the miraculous entrance Carson had imagined from his father, but it was understandable. Burt came home and made his way to the den with a grave face and serious eyes. He didn't say a single word as he sat down, next to Carole. Nor did he speak when Finn cleared his throat. For a long while Burt stared down at his clasped hands, his elbows resting on his knees, and said nothing at all. It was a little unnerving for everyone. When he finally spoke Carson had to fight down the urge to say 'finally'. "We are a family. In this house family comes first. Family comes before your girlfriends, your boyfriends, your need to be popular, and everything else." Burt looked at Finn, dead in the eyes. "I thought you understood what it meant to be a part of this family." Finn looked down at his lap and his face turned red. "What you did...Finn...I can't even understand the beginning of what thoughts led you to thinking this was okay. This is the third time you did something to make Kurt feel unsafe in his own house. You betrayed his privacy."

Finn opened his mouth like he was going to protest but Burt pressed on. "You betrayed his privacy. And you betrayed Carson's. There's nothing to be done about me. Everyone I wish didn't know heard about it back when it was happening. But you went out and deliberately hurt my sons."

"Burt, I—"

Burt held up his hand then pointed to Carson. But he kept his face on Finn. "He doesn't live here. He doesn't talk to me. Hell I don't even know what his favorite movie is. But he's _my_ son. Just as much as Kurt. Just as much as you. I don't know why you did it. I don't care why you did it. And I don't want to hear your reasons. You go up to your room and I had better not hear from you until I call you back down." Finn stood and left without another word. He passed by his mother quickly, keeping his eyes on his feet. Carson thought he saw some tears building up in his eyes. But he couldn't believe it.

"That's it?"

Burt looked over at Carson, face drawn and tired. "For now."

"Are you serious? He told the whole town our business. Our business! He made mom look like a psychopath and he might as well have pulled the trigger on Kurt. And all he gets is a little time out in his room?!" Carson stood from the couch and stared Burt down in disbelief.

"Carson, I'm the dad here. I don't want to deal with Finn until I've calmed down."

Carson crossed his arms and sneered. "So you're actually gonna do something? Or is Mr. All American going to get away with everything because he pouts and apologizes?"

Sheryl reached out and grabbed Carson's arm, trying to pull him back down to the couch. She thought it'd be best for him to keep his mouth shut, all things considered back in Clover. He yanked his arm away and advanced on Burt. "No! What are you going to do to him? Do you know what they'll do to Kurt? Huh? Do you know what they'll say about him? How many people are gonna look at him and look at me and decide he just needs to _fixed_?"

Burt stared Carson down. He licked his lips and shook his head. "I can't turn back time Carson. What's done is done."

"Hopefully you're going to do more to Finn! That douchebag gets to make Kurt feel like shit in his own home, _three_ fucking times and he just gets to relax in his room and think about it?!"

Burt stood. "What your mouth. You're in my house and you're talking about my—"

Carson pushed Burt. He barely stumbled and pain spiked up Carson's arm. "Yeah. I'm talking about your son. The only one you seem to still want. Go make his life easier, to hell with Kurt! You're getting rid of him right? He just finishes up this year and you're rid of him and the golden boy you always wanted sticks around to take over the shop." Carson was tearing up and red in the face. Sheryl and Carole were looking at him, shocked and quiet. Burt didn't know how to respond. "You'd have dumped him off somewhere too if you could have, wouldn't you! You'd just throw him out like you did with me!" He isn't thinking, not about all the things he wanted to say to Finn, not about his mother behind him who is probably hurting, not about how long he's kept these things inside.

"Carson, that's not true. I love you both."

"If you loved me at all you wouldn't have given me away." Carson swept past his father. He was crying and furious. On the stairs Kurt was wrapped up in Blaine, sniffling into his shoulder. Carson snatched his jacket from the hallway and left the house. Kurt and Blaine trailed behind, pulling on their jackets as they jogged to keep up. For a second Blaine tried to unlock his car doors but Carson stalked on, knowing he needed to move and walk off the emotional stress. Kurt jogged forward until he was matching Carson stride for stride and held his hand. As much as Kurt wanted to tug Carson back and go hide up in his room, there was no point. Finn was there and Carson was right. He'd probably get away with nothing more than an insincere apology. Kurt looked over his shoulder at Blaine, who was keeping pace a few steps back with worry on his face.

For a while the only noise between them was their pounding feet and sniffling breaths. They were winding through residential neighborhoods again but Kurt knew that in a few streets they'd make it over to the first wave of shops. And with that would come nosy busybodies. He really hoped they didn't run into anyone too forward. Judy had been tactful but the same couldn't be said for the ladies she lunched with. When they made it to the storefronts Blaine came forward and took Kurt's other hand. It wasn't something they normally did in public. It was scary. But they were going to have problem regardless if the rest of their day was anything to go by. He deserved a little bit of comfort at this point. Gawkers be damned.

The three of them didn't turn heads straight away. People at this point were busy trying to get their errands done in time for dinner. There was a fair amount of hustle and bustle going around that they could melt into. Carson was wandering aimlessly, dragging Kurt and Blaine through crowds of people that they bumped into and hand to shove aside. It was only a matter of time before someone sees them and makes a scene. Hopefully Kurt can steer Carson into a store before that happens to minimize the damage. Luckily they were around the corner from a Target. Kurt caught Blaine's eye and nodded in that direction. They tried to herd Carson that way gently.

Target was blissfully full of shoppers. If they did see anyone from school it was unlikely there would be an actual fight. A few taunts were unavoidable but getting caught by someone's mother making a scene in a decent store was a good way to get your keys taken away. There was little that football players feared more in this town than losing their ride. Fully recognizing the ploy Carson sent a glare at Kurt but didn't let go of his hand. Blaine chuckled nervously and came around to Kurt's front. "Can I pick something up real quick? My mom wanted me to get some sugar before I came home."

Kurt gave him a small smile and squeezed his hand before letting go. "Yeah. Keep your phone on."

"I will." Blaine smiled at Carson and started walking backwards towards the grocery side of the store. He didn't turn around until he grazed the side of a frazzled looking old man. With Blaine heading deeper into the store Kurt decided it would be best if they found a nice quiet place to stand. Kurt started leading him to the board game section. Even if there were kids running around in the next aisle looking at toys, it'd be unlikely anyone they knew would come nearby. It was deserted. There was a huge display of DiXit which Kurt had actually considered buying for Brittany. If he hadn't run out of the house without his wallet he'd have bought one.

"I don't know how you live there."

Kurt pulled his hand from Carson and leaned against the shelves. He crossed his arms and looked down at his shoes. "Well I don't know how you live with her so I think we're even."

"Don't say that. We can't all look like we've jumped out of Better Homes and Gardens. Some of us struggle."

Kurt couldn't believe what he was hearing. "I'm going to pretend what you're saying is the result of a deep emotional trauma because I refuse to believe you don't know I've struggled. So we have money. Money doesn't make people like. Not with the amount we've got. And we're here because you're so pissed off that I have to live with Finn. So..." Kurt trailed off with a huff. He knew what Carson was getting at. It couldn't have been easy for him to get carted off with Sheryl without so much as Howdy do. Plus the fact that she'd turned into an alcoholic with no life goals probably hadn't helped. Carson was just as stuck in a small town rut as he was. The only thing that made Kurt's life better was Burt's parenting skills. As far as Kurt was concerned, not being mistaken for gay far topped that. Speaking of, "I haven't forgotten about your little scheme Carson. You went all righteous in the house over Finn and Rachel but what are you doing back home?"

"I want to get out Kurt! I don't want to live in that town. I don't want to get a thankless job and marry some bimbo and have a bunch of kids that'll hate me. I want to make myself better."

"You should start by not blackmailing people."

"I wasn't going to hurt anyone. Everyone's got secrets. I've got secrets. I just needed a little fear to motivate the masses."

Kurt took a deep breath. He wanted to look Carson in the eye to show him the disappointment he felt, but he didn't think he could manage it without weakening his resolve. "You are doing the same thing Finn and Rachel did to us. You dug around, found secrets, and you're threatening to destroy lives."

"Threatening is not the same as doing."

Kurt looked up at Carson, unwilling to believe he was still denying this. "They don't know that." Whether or not Carson decided to tell was irrelevant because the threat was there that their lives could unravel. The only difference between Carson and Jacob was intent and that didn't mean much at all.

"I'll stop okay. I'll go back to Clover and apologize and destroy all the evidence and we can all go back to the status quo okay?"

"Why?"

Carson huffed and leaned against the shelves next to Kurt. "Because you asked me to?" Kurt glared at him and he tried again. "Because I'm better than your asshole stepbrother?" The look was the same. "Fine. Okay. Because we all have secrets and I shouldn't be risking other people's livelihoods for college." Kurt nodded and tugged Carson to lean over and rest his head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry Kurt. If I hadn't come out here you could've gotten out scott free."

"It's not your fault Carson."

"Then who's is it?"

"This town. The people. It's small enough that everything you do can be judged and big enough that your name can't buy you privacy."

Carson snorted. "Like our name could've bought us privacy in a smaller town. We're not loaded. Well, I'm definitely not, but you know what I mean."

"Hummel Tires and Lube is the best garage in town. We have contracts with the city and we service all of the Motta family cars." Carson's not sure who the Motta family is, so he'll just have to take his word for it. He also knows that Kurt is right. What he was doing back home was no different from what Finn and Rachel had done to him. It was wrong, he knew that. But he did have better reasons. He wanted to get out of Clover and make something of himself. And if they wrote things for him and pushed themselves they could get out too. There's no law that says you have to grow up and die there just because your parents decided to. He wasn't going to. "Are you really going to stop Carson?"

He leaned more heavily into Kurt. He could smell some spicy cologne that had to belong to Blaine. It was weird to think that Kurt smelt like someone else. They were growing up and Carson had always thought he was the one out in front, not really older but wiser. Kurt was proving him wrong. He was acting like a spoiled manipulative brat. He didn't want to give up Clovergate. Not after all the work he put into it. But it wasn't looking like he had any other choice. Kurt was absolutely right. It just wasn't fair. He wondered how badly his classmates would hound him after he gave it up. He doubted he'd garner enough sympathy to smooth the whole thing over but he could play up his pain and disorientation to save himself if he needed to. "Yeah. I'll destroy everything. I can have Malerie start doing it later." It was for the best. He hadn't bothered to see it from anyone elses perspective, so long as he knew he wasn't going to ruin any lives he thought that was enough. It stung more than he cared to admit that having a similar situation thrust on him was what was necessary to see the light. He felt like he was in a toddler cartoon.

It was quiet in their little nook of the store. The shoppers were mostly on the grocery side, scrambling to pick up odds and ends for the approaching holiday. Every now and then they'd hear someone walk close by but no one turned down their aisle. Kurt thought he should call Blaine. He was probably waiting patiently on a bench somewhere with his mom's sugar. He hummed and pulled away from the shelf, his movement pulling Carson along reluctantly.

"I don't want to go back there yet."

"We don't have to. But I can't just leave Blaine out there by himself. He's too noble to just go home." The two of them step out of the board game aisle and into the toys. Kurt has naturally gravitated to Carson's hand by now and their fingers are wound together by the time they make it into a main aisle. They wish they had taken a few more minutes. Standing in front of them was Rick "The Stick" Nelson, holding onto a metal shower rod. Kurt spots his mother's trademark rust colored sweatshirt tied around her hips just as she disappears around a corner. Rick doesn't look like he's about to follow after her. Logically Kurt knew Rick wasn't going to beat them in the middle of a crowded store, but that didn't stop him from worrying about what would happen once they had to walk home. He clung to Carson's hand and tried to keep the fear off of his face. There was nothing he could do to slow the frantic beat of his heart.

"Well look what I found. It's true. Little Miss Fancy has a brother." Rick stepped forward, sauntering around the two of them. Kurt was tense, mentally going over the directions they could run and how loudly he'd have to yell to call for help. Carson was watching Rick closely, not knowing who he was he didn't want to risk underestimating him. Rick got close to Carson and prodded him with the shower rod. Carson sneered and yanked his arm away. "What's this? You don't look like a fancy. Don't be shy. How much dick have you sucked?"

He didn't raise to the bait. Saying anything, confirming he was inclined one way or the other, would result in either a strike on him or Kurt. It was best to stay silent and avoid the whole thing. There was the occasional shopper passing them by but no one looked twice. Why would they? No one was yelling. The three of them looked about the same age. Rick was being smart about his taunts and keeping them down. The best Kurt and Carson could hope for would be for Mrs. Nelson to call for Rick to come to the check out. Then the three of them could call for a ride and get somewhere less hostile.

"What? Nothing to say?" Rick jerked forward, trying to make them flinch but they held still. He pinched Carson's hoodie and plucked at the fabric, smiling at the sneer he received. "Oh, maybe I've got it all wrong. Maybe your crazy mother beat the gay out of you young huh?" Kurt's jaw clenched and his hand squeezed so tightly around Carson's it started to hurt. They needed to get away from Rick before things got nasty. Carson tapped the back of Kurt's hand with his thumb twice to get his attention, then started walking away from Rick. Kurt followed along quickly, practically pressing himself to Carson's back. It didn't deter Rick from following, but it was getting them somewhere more crowded. As the crowds came into view Kurt felt something hard press into the center of his back. Rick leaned in close as Kurt froze and spoke directly into his ear. "Maybe I should do what your crazy mother did to him."

Carson didn't hear what Rick said, but he heard Kurt's whimper loud and clear. He pulled Kurt around and stood in front of him. "Maybe should tell your mother about what you did." He couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth. It was a shot in the dark. The odds of that actually triggering something in this kids mind was close to zero but it's all he had. If Kurt had any sense he'd get on the phone and start talking to someone now.

"Like you know anything. You just got here from some hick town smaller than this one."

So there might actually be something there. Carson couldn't believe his luck. He cocked a brow and stared him down. "Well my hick town does have phones. And we talk Rick. It's amazing what a guy can figure out when no one pays any attention to him."

In front of him Rick wrinkles his nose and clenches his fist around the rod. "This isn't over Fabulous Twins." Rick stalked past them, slamming his shoulder into Carson's burnt side as went. He grunted and staggered back into Kurt, who caught him gently.

"What happens to me when Rick wants to know what you were talking about?"

Carson took a few deep breaths to fight the pain before he answered. "Bluff. Or find something out about him before then."

"I don't think he'll corner me in another store Carson. He's going to get me alone somewhere."

"Don't be alone anywhere."

Kurt huffed and pulled away from Carson. He'd texted Blaine quickly and quietly during the Carson's bluff. Any second now Blaine would come running. Kurt barely had time to start in on Carson when Blaine did show up. He was breathing heavy and looked terrified. "Is he...are you okay?" He pulled Kurt into a hug, clinging to him and pressing kisses to the side of Kurt's head. Carson took the grocery bag dangling from his hand and then the phone from Kurt's back pocket.

He goes through the contacts. Dad jumps out at him first. If he was sensible he would call Burt. Despite getting along in age he doubted anyone would mess with them with Burt's menacing form behind them. But he didn't want to. The feeling of being unwanted was still fresh and hot and he didn't want to deal with Burt's meaningless platitudes. He'd been given away, that's all there was to it. No amount of sorrys would ever make that go away. Sam didn't have his own car so he was out. There were a lot of names that he didn't recognize. Kurt had talked only briefly about glee club so a lot of the names didn't bring faces to mind. He counted out all the girls immediately. If they did run into trouble he didn't want to have that on his conscious. He passed Karofsky's number and memorized it. He'd be using that later. "Puck?" Blaine looked up, confused until he spotted the phone, then nodded. Carson only knew that Puck had gone to Juvie and that he thought Kurt was "his boy" now. It looked like the best he was going to get.

"What's up Princess?"

"It's Carson. Come pick us up at Target."

"Well hi to you too Sparky. Why should I come grace you with my presence?"

"Because some asshole named Rick threatened us with a metal rod."

"I'm on my way man."

He hung up without saying goodbye and motioned for Kurt and Blaine to follow him to the front of the store. They kept close to the carts, not only so they could spot Rick if he left, but so they would be in a high traffic area. They kept close together and watched in every direction. If Rick was lurking around anyone could be. "Has he given you trouble before?"

"I don't know." Kurt ignored the look he got in return. "I don't _know_ Carson. Last year I was preoccupied with Karofsky and Azimio. Rick is an ass but he never went after me specifically. He might have slushied me."

"Then why now?"

"I don't know, maybe it has to do with the fact that someone spread out nasty family secrets to the wind and gave him ammo?" Before the argument could gain ground Blaine put a hand on Kurt's arm to quiet him. They stood tensely, eager for Puck to pull up and get them out of there. Carson still wasn't ready to go back to Burt's house but he didn't think he'd be comfortable breaking down at Puck's either. With any luck they could get a ride to somewhere like a diner, or Blaine's house.

Kurt spotted Puck's beaten up Honda right away. He tore out of the store without a word, desperate to get as far away from Rick as possible. Carson and Blaine followed behind him and got into Puck's car with a sigh of relief. "A metal pipe? Seriously?"

Carson shrugged. "It was a shower rod, but yeah. Nice people here. Good community." Puck laughed and pulled out of the parking lot, nearly clipping the curb in the process.

"Don't it just get better with age?"

Blaine laughed nervously. If he didn't focus on how he and Kurt weren't constantly the ones getting the short end of the stick he could appreciate the humor. The look Carson gave him shut him up quick. Kurt didn't look amused either but the crease in his forehead hinted at a comment fighting to get out. It was quiet in the car after that, besides the crackling classic rock coming from the radio. Everyone in the car knew it was going to get worse very quickly. Even Puck had personal experience with Rick. He wouldn't just let it go if he thought he could get something from it. Being the first to hassle Carson would get him some notoriety with the other half wit bullies in school. It was like hunting a rare animal.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter: 10 + Epilogue  
Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or SBL.  
A/N: Final chapter folks. The ending feels a little lack luster to me but I really wanted to hone in on the feel of SBL. Not death, but you know, shit happens and it isn't always the great explosion of happy you're looking for. It is what it is.

**LINEBREAK**

Puck took them to Sheryl's hotel room. Blaine got dropped off first with a lingering parting kiss and a warning to stay safe. Once they were all settled in Puck held out for a fist bump from both of them before wishing them luck and heading back home. Whenever they were ready to leave the hotel room they would have Carole pick them up. The hotel room was a bit messy. Sheryl's clothes and toiletries were half out of her suitcase and across several surfaces. Kurt ran his fingers across them slowly, lingering over her lotion and just taking the time to memorize it all. There weren't any labels that Kurt recognized from his childhood but strawberries was still a common theme. From the bed Carson watched him quietly, letting Kurt take his time to get to know Sheryl through her stuff.

"Dad didn't want to give you away."

Carson huffed and his nose wrinkled. "Then he wouldn't have."

Kurt didn't look at Carson. He was still looking at Sheryl's things, still touching. "He thought she'd come back. That she'd get better and come home in a week or a month. She just never did."

"Does he not know what a phone is?"

"He called. I use to sneak into the hall at night and listen to him. He'd call and call and call and she wouldn't pick up. Then she changed her number. He cried all night." Kurt picked up a tube of chapstick. The label was peeling and faded and the cap was from a different brand. Kurt had the same one in his satchel. He pushed that away to focus on Carson. It was true that his father had tried to get a hold of Carson and Sheryl. He just couldn't get through. Kurt remembered lying on the floor in the hallway, listening to his father try and fail to get through then crying. Every morning he'd put on a brave face and say Carson would call them some other time. But the time never came and Kurt had to search and search and search for a way to contact Carson on his own. He hadn't even been successful. It was Carson who sent a letter with his contact information.

"He shouldn't have signed away his rights."

Kurt turned to Carson, who was slouched on the bed, staring angrily down at his knock off Chucks. "He shouldn't have. He should have made her go on her own. But he loved her and he wanted her back just as much as I did. He thought if she let her go she'd fall in love with him again."

"That's why I'm not gonna bother."

"With love?" Kurt sat down next to Carson. "Ever?"

Carson rolled his eyes. Of course it would be unthinkable to someone like Kurt. "No, not ever. Just not now. Having a job, having ambition, goals, that's more important to me than finding someone to be with."

"Okay."

He turned to Kurt, a little shocked. "Okay? That's it? You're not going to tell me I'm wrong?"

Kurt shook his head and twiddled his fingers together. "My dream was to find someone who loved me. To have a life where I can sing and dance and come home to a man who loves me so much I'm in every breath he takes. Your dream is to get a job at the New Yorker and have millions of people read what you have to say. I need love. You need to be heard. Dreams are dreams."

With a sigh Carson let himself fall back on the bed. Knowing that Burt regretted his decision wasn't nearly as satisfying as he thought it would be. Knowing Kurt understood his dreams was. He was worried they'd have a fight about their respective futures and freeze each other out. He should've had a little more faith. "How did you know you were gay?"

Kurt snorted and laid down next to his brother. He was on his side, propped up by his elbow, his face in his hand. "You tell me. Was it the heels or my undying love for Prince Phillip?"

"I'm serious. When did you know you were gay? When did you wake up and decide 'yeah, this describes me'?"

Kurt twisted his mouth to the side and thought. "When I was twelve. Dad rented _Doom_ and I ended up paying more attention to Karl Urban than Rosamund Pike. I didn't admit it until the year before last. I was scared."

"Because of dad?"

"Yes...and no. I knew he loved me. Sometimes he would do things that made me scared, like taking away my car because I had tiaras hidden in my room. Or getting frustrated with me because I didn't want to watch sports. But I knew he loved me. I was worried I would disappoint him. That he would do exactly what you said he would. I actually researched the foster homes around here."

"So you weren't scared for yourself?"

"Oh I was. Very, very scared. I didn't want to say it out loud. If I just looked at guys, if I kept it hidden inside myself there would always be doubt. I wouldn't be gay, I'd be a sissy. I was scared of what being gay meant for myself. I can't get married in most places. I can't just have children. I can't hold hands with the person I love without being frightened. I didn't want to be in danger all the time. Eventually though it just hurt so much to lie to myself that I decided to risk it and come out." Kurt lowered himself off his elbow until he could rest his cheek on Carson's shoulder. He could remember lying like this with him when they were kids. They'd take turns listening to each others heart beat and wondering if they were always in sync. "Why?" Carson shrugged.

"I wasn't there for it."

"That's all? You didn't ask for—"

"I'm not gay."

"Okay."

"I'm not gay or straight or bi. Not right now. I just don't think about it. I got to watch mom and dad destroy our lives over love then I watched mom wreck herself all over again with Neil. Grandma is always going on about how much she misses Grandpa, when she can't remember why he left. And when she does she's pissed that he cheated on her for so long under her nose and she gets depressed. She gave up her life for him and he went out and slept with a bunch of women while she waited at home like a good little wife and it isn't fair. Love gets in the way. It makes people lazy and stagnant and I just don't want to deal with it."

Kurt turned his face in and kissed Carson's shoulder then settled back the way he way. "It's not always like that. Blaine makes me happy. He makes me so happy some days I can't help but wonder if he was made for me. It's not all like that, I know. Rachel and Finn are an excellent example, or maybe him and Quinn. Or Quinn and Puck. Love is tricky. Sex too." Carson can't fight the bubble of laughter that comes up despite the somber mood. It's so bizarre to hear sex come out of his brother's mouth. Kurt smacks him in the stomach. "It is. When I was with Blaine, even before, I never wanted to have sex with anyone. The touch of fingertips was sexy as it got. I was scared of anything else. Anal sounded so painful and embarrassing, I couldn't imagine sharing that with anyone. And to me, because there's not a lot of help around here for people like me, I thought that was it for sex. Handjobs, blowjobs, it's so impersonal. When Dad had _The Talk_ with me it was embarrassing but it helped. He told me I mattered and that sex was more than just feeling good. He treated me like a guy."

"So you and Blaine never...?"

"We have. We do, and it's good. It just took us a while to get there. Sex isn't like I thought it would be. It's so much better. There's nothing impersonal about it and Blaine doesn't let me stay embarrassed for long." Carson hummed. He couldn't picture Kurt and Blaine doing the deed, thankfully, but it interested him on a morbid level. He thought Kurt would be well into college before he progressed that far. "So why ask? Are you not interested in sex at all, ever?"

"I'm not a eunuch. I want to have sex someday. I just want to be established. I want something to fall back on if someone rips out my heart."

"Who do you think about when you masturbate?"

Carson sputtered and pulled out from under Kurt quickly. He fell to the bed with a thump and squawked at Carson. "What?!" Kurt blushed and sat up.

"If you don't want to label yourself fine. But you should at least know which way to look when you're ready. You shouldn't spend all your precious middle aged years searching for a beautiful woman if you're not inclined. And you shouldn't waste that time looking for handsome men just because I'm gay and you're my twin. I've found that the pictures you master to is a pretty good indication of which way you lean." Kurt was blushing furiously as he talked. A year ago he would have rather chewed his own arm off than talk about this, but Carson was important and he'd had his own sexual awakening. He wanted to make sure Carson got his someday too.

"I don't...I don't think about anything in particular. I just start and go."

Kurt sat on his knees and gestured with his hands. "No _fantasies_?"

"No."

"How does that work?"

"Lotion is amazing." Kurt balked at him. "Look, not all of us need to see something. Some of us can just go by sensation."

"That's...boring."

"Look, when I start looking at people—"

"In the sexual way?"

Carson closed his eyes and took a deep breath through his nose. "In a sexual way, I will call you and we'll talk. Until then I appreciate people who are good looking as men or women. I'm more...attracted I guess, to personality. I can't see myself being with someone gorgeous and dumb."

Kurt bounced on his knees and clapped his hands. "Maybe you're pansexual!"

"Bless you." Carson ignored Kurt's scoff and made himself comfortable in the room's only chair. As glad as he was that they'd had this conversation, he couldn't wait to steer away from it. He didn't know what he was right now other than ambitious. And an asshole apparently. He really shouldn't have blackmailed anyone. Devious and cunning yes, but a little low brow. He could do better. It burned him that he'd made the same mistake as Finn Hudson. More than anything though he was ashamed of how his actions had affected Kurt. It hadn't crossed his mind that outing someone was so bad because he just hadn't cared about the people concerned. "Do you ever write?"

Kurt looked a little taken aback, but folded himself into a more comfortable position and recovered. "A little. I wrote a musical about Pippa Middleton. It wasn't very good. I want to try something darker."

"Sweeney Todd dark?"

"Maybe, but no cannibalism. I was thinking something about superheroes actually."

"Superheroes?"

"Blaine is friends with people in the Super Hero club."

"So why not join?"

"I think he's embarrassed about how much he wants to run around in a cape." Kurt laughed to himself and skimmed his fingers over the rough hotel grade sheets. "There's a lot of untapped angst in comic worlds. I think I could make something up."

"If you do let me know."

"Maybe we could collaborate on something. I write the music and you create an anti-hero people will root for even though the hero is in the right."

"No cliched super villain in it for world domination?"

"That's too easy." Talking was easier after that. With the topic of sex and family behind them they could just talk. Really talk to each other like they'd wanted to to begin with. It wasn't surprising that they had a lot of superficial differences. What was surprising was the things they had in common. Despite their different upbringings they had a similar sense of humor, similar taste in books, and they felt the same way about most "funny" graphic tee shirts. If they had grown up together they probably would have turned out just the same, if not a little less cynical.

"It's almost dinner time. We should go home."

"Your home."

"Our home. It doesn't matter how far away you are, wherever I live it's your home too." Kurt held out his hand for his phone. Carson reluctantly handed it over. "I'm okay Dad. No...no we're fine. It's okay. We're at the hotel. Can...", Kurt looked up at Carson, trying to see what he wanted. "...someone come get us? Okay. We will. I promise...love you too. I will. Bye." Kurt ended the call before his dad could launch into a new round of questions. "He sends love and Sheryl. He wants us to stay inside with the door locked. I guess Puck told him about what happened."

"Do you really think he knows about the shower rod?"

"Well...no. Puck, if that's who it was, probably only said someone was hassling us. Or one of the other glee parents tipped him off about the hostile environment." Kurt would know better than he would. Carson watched Kurt unfurl from the bed and make his way to the window behind the chair. It was dark out, but just barely. The sign for the hotel was bright and lighting up the parking lot in front of them. Since it was a busy season there were a decent amount of cars lined up. On the far side of the lot a car was on. It was a beat up station wagon with a faded and rusted out powder blue paint job. It looked very familiar to Kurt. "Oh my God."

Carson twisted in his chair and tried to look outside. "What?"

Kurt raised a shaking hand to point outside. "That car. It belongs to Rick's friend. They're on the hockey team together." Carson stood and pulled Kurt away from the window. He pushed him down on the bed and yanked the curtains closed.

"It's almost Thanksgiving. He could be here for anybody."

"You don't actually believe that do you?"

He didn't. He really, really didn't. It would be just their luck that Rick formed a little posse and hotel hopped to find them. But as long as they stayed inside with the curtains shut they would be okay. Until Sheryl came. He hoped Rick's friends got bored before she got there. He wasn't really in the state to be in a fight. Besides his burns his hand was still numb in places. He could break his fingers or something and not notice. He had no doubt Kurt could fight off someone if he needed to but he didn't think Kurt would just jump in. It would cause him more problems down the line. Carson looked through the edge of the curtain. Opening it just barely with his finger. Rick was there. He'd gotten out of the station wagon and was leaning against the hood with his friends around him. There were four of them. His friends weren't built like football players but they were fit enough to cause some serious damage.

The hockey players hadn't noticed them yet but they looked like they were settling in for a long night. Carson couldn't think of a reason why. There were other hotels. He could tell that Kurt believed the worst was going to happen. He did too but he refused to let it show. One of them had to at least look optimistic. They waited quietly for Sheryl to show up. Then Kurt gasped. "We have to call her. We can tell her to wait until they leave." Kurt pulled out his phone and dialed Sheryl's number.

"She won't answer. She turns her phone off while she drives."

It was the sensible thing for her to do, especially after her accident but Kurt hated her for it right now. You shouldn't have your phone off, ever. It should always be on, at least on vibrate. Carson was right. The phone went straight to voice mail. With a curse Kurt hung up and tried again. Then he called the house. "Dad! Dad did Sheryl leave?"

"Yeah she should be there almost."

"No, call her. I tried. Call her. Rick and his friends are waiting outside."

"What?!" Burt's voice was muffled for a moment as he pulled away to yell for Carole. "Do they know you're there?"

"No. But they will when Sheryl shows up."

"I'm callin' the cops. Stay inside. Only open the door for Sheryl. You get her in quick and don't leave until the cops get there. I ain't takin' any chances." Burt hung up without saying goodbye, presumably to call the cops quicker. The way Lima was, cops could answer to a call in four, five minutes flat. It was such a boring place they would trip over each other to respond to a decent call. Unfortunately Sheryl showed up before the cops did. She pulled into the parking lot casually in Kurt's Navigator. The worst possible option. Carson watched from the window as Rick and his friends spotted the car. They slapped each other and rolled their shoulders, ready for a fight. Sheryl parked in the middle of the lot. Rick wasn't deterred by seeing her step outside. Instead he called across the lot, taunting her.

"Hey Mrs. Hummel! Is it true you tried to drown Kurt in a bathtub?" Sheryl turned sharply. She had no idea who this kid was but she was pissed. Yeah she'd treated Kurt like shit after her accident, but she never raised a hand to him. Ever. Besides that she had no idea how these kids knew her. If she were in Clover she would have told them off but this was Lima and Kurt got hassled enough so she ignored it. Or tried too. "Did Carson really get struck by lightning or did you electrocute him? You got insurance on your kids whacko?" She turned to Rick, taking in his pasty face and unkempt mullet.

"What's the matter kid? Your mama too poor to pay for a haircut? She had to lay you down under the lawnmower?" Kurt and Carson couldn't hear what she was saying but they could see Rick's face morph from amusement to anger. His friends weren't laughing anymore either. They moved closer to Sheryl and Carson snapped. He bolted outside, leaving the door wide open, and ran until he could grab his mother's arm. He ignored Rick's friends looks and pulled her behind him.

"Told you this wasn't over Sparky. Your little sister waiting inside for us?"

"No but yours is. She was a pleasure to meet."

"Hey!" Rick lunged forward and Carson dodged him. Sheryl stumbled behind him and started digging through her purse for something. Carson hoped it was a bottle of pepper spray or a taser. Rick's friends weren't swinging fists at him, which was a blessing and a curse. Instead they were closing around Carson and Sheryl, keeping them from running away. He ducked Rick's sloppy swing again and saw Kurt running towards them. Before Kurt reached them Rick caught Carson by the arm and yanked, sending pain rocketing up his arm. His vision blurred with tears and he fought the urge to fall to his knees. Pain exploded in his side as a foot connected with his ribs. Over the sound of the blood rushing in his ears he could hear his mother screaming. Then there was a crack that didn't come from him. Then a thud and groan. Carson's glasses had fallen to the ground but he could make out Kurt standing in front of Sheryl. He'd punched Rick in the nose.

With Rick on the ground and defenseless Carson struck. He punched him in the side of the head to keep him down then tried staggered to his feet. He was half crouched still when a shove came from behind and sent him back to the ground. He smashed his glasses and busted his chin on the asphalt. Carson spit out a mouthful of blood and rolled to his side, into someone's hands. It was his mom. She was tugging on him, trying to pull him to his feet. He couldn't see Rick's friends but he could hear them yelling. He looked over his mother's arm and saw them farther down the lot, chasing after Kurt. He heard Kurt scream and drop to the ground then they were on him. Carson pushed Sheryl away, trying to shove her in Kurt's direction.

Sheryl had heard the scream. She wanted to help him but she wanted Carson up first. He was still hurt, still so close to death. "Mom...go. GO." Sheryl hesitated, then laid him down gently and took off running. Kurt was on the ground, thrashing and kicking at the boys around him. There was blood around his mouth. With a screech Sheryl launched herself at the biggest boy's back, pulling him back and throwing him off balance. She pulled away before he hit the ground and lunged at another boy. She could see Kurt rolling onto his knees and pulling himself up from the corner of her eye. As she tried to wrestle the next boy to the ground one of them grabbed her around the neck from behind, hauling her away from the fight.

Kurt was being held around the stomach. The boy holding him picked Kurt up off the ground, just barely, and slammed him into a car. Kurt's head hit with a heavy thunk, dazing him. He knew he couldn't twist his way free so he went limp, making his body as heavy as possible and moving his weight down. The boy holding him huffed and slackened his grip. Seeing his opportunity Kurt kicked out, pushing off of the car in front of him and sending the boy holding him to the ground. They landed in a heap, Kurt's weight knocking the wind out of his attacker. With a groan Kurt rolled off of him and staggered to his feet.

Sirens cut through everyone's heavy breathing. Kurt half ran, half loped towards Sheryl. The boy who'd been holding her had let go at the sound of the sirens. Blue and red lights were filling the parking lot with light, almost blinding them all. Kurt slumped against Sheryl and pulled her into a hug. She was coughing, but otherwise okay. Over her shoulder Kurt could see a cop kneeling by Carson, who was slumped against the Navigator's side. Rick was being put into handcuffs. Police officers rushed past Sheryl and Kurt yelling for Rick's friends to get down and to put their hands behind their backs. No one stopped to talk to them so Kurt and Sheryl ran towards Carson. An ambulance was pulling into the lot, coming in fast and nearly side swiping a car to get into the lot properly. The EMT's jumped out and ran to Carson. One of them was holding a defibrillator. When they dropped down to check Carson's vitals Sheryl started to laugh.

She couldn't believe what was happening. A group of red neck kids had jumped her for mouthing off. She'd gotten into a fight with teenagers. And both of her sons almost got beaten to death over something that happened years ago and meant nothing to them. And people thought Clover was ass backwards. "Ma'am. Ma'am are you alright?" An EMT was looking at her with worry, a flashlight in hand to check her eyes. Her laughter taper off and looked around, holding her arm out to keep the EMT at bay. Kurt was kneeling on the ground, holding Carson's hand and shrugging away all attempts to check if he was alright. He was probably hurting pretty bad though. He'd screamed loud enough. Past the cars people were sticking their heads out of their doors, watching the scene unfold like a movie. Where the hell had they been during the fight?

"I'm fine. Are my kids okay?"

"The boy in the sweatshirt—"

"Carson."

"Carson is in a lot of pain and he might have a cracked jaw. We're not sure so we're going to load him up and take him to the hospital. The other—"

"Kurt."

"Kurt, he won't let us look. Did you see how badly he got hurt?"

"I didn't see but he screamed like they were killing him."

The EMT nodded and motioned for a nearby cop to pull Kurt aside. "He's favoring his stomach. We didn't see any blood but he's wearing a dark coat. Did you see anyone with weapons?"

"No. He uh...Kurt doesn't like hospitals. He'll pitch a fit. You might want to give him something."

"Alright. It sounds like you were strangled. Are you feeling light headed?"

"No. Throat's just a little sore."

"Okay." He grabbed her arm and gently pulled her along. They were walking behind Carson, who was laid out on a stretcher. They passed Rick, bleeding and surly, in the back of a cop car. "We're going to take you too. Suffocation shouldn't be taken lightly."

"Kurt?"

"He's going to ride in the next ambulance. It's right there." True to his word, a second ambulance was parked near the entrance of the hotel. It must have just gotten there. The EMT's rushed past her and relieved a haggard looking officer of Kurt, who was pitching a fit.

"I don't need to go to the hospital! I'm fine! I want—" Kurt didn't get to say what else he wanted. One of the EMT's jabbed him with a needle and he started calming down. Sheryl sent a wary look to the man escorting her to the ambulance.

"It's probably in his file." The EMT helped her up into the ambulance after Carson. Once she was settled he shut the doors and she was just able to make out Kurt being guided to the next ambulance. Someone had to call Burt. Her phone was somewhere in the parking lot though.

"Someone needs to call Burt Hummel."

"The father?"

"Yeah. I don't have my phone."

"Someone will take care of that at the hospital." He was focused on Carson but he sent her a brief and reassuring smile. Then he was back to checking Carson's head and vitals. For a second she imagined it was Kurt lying there, covered in blood and weakly fending off the EMT. She needed a nap.

**LINEBREAK **

Getting a phone call that your children are in the hospital is like getting hit in the chest with a bowling ball. Even if you know it's coming it doesn't hurt any less. Since the moment Kurt hung up he's been wound up, feeling like his heart's going to stop any second. When the call came it was a nurse telling him that Kurt, Carson, and Sheryl had to be taken in for various injuries. When he figured out which group of punk kids was responsible there would be hell to pay. He was so on edge he couldn't even drive himself to the hospital. Carole took the lead, and after a very stern warning for Finn to stay put, she started up the car.

Right now they were jogging through the hospital, trying to find the rooms. The doctors had put them all together. Kurt's fear of hospitals and bright blue eyes worked wonders with the older nurses. He could wrap them around his little finger if he worked his pout and eyelashes enough. Carole saw them first, two cops standing outside of a room looking bored. Burt raced to them. "Are they okay?"

The older cop, someone Burt had seen once or twice at his shop, snapped to attention. "Mr. Hummel." He nodded. "They'll be alright so far as I can tell. They want to keep them all for observation. They thought Kurt was going to be able to go home but it turns out he hit his head pretty hard against the side of a vehicle."

Carole was holding her hand to her mouth and crying. She'd known as soon as she got involved with Burt that there was a chance she'd end up in a hospital because of Kurt's sexuality. But knowing it was a possibility hadn't prepared her for what she would feel. And now it wasn't just Kurt. It was poor Carson who'd just had a brush with death and Sheryl who Burt still loved so much despite everything. "What about the others?"

The cop took a deep breath. "Sheryl was held in a strangle hold. Carson hit the pavement pretty hard. They think he might have cracked his jaw. He was in a lot of pain and pretty out of it. Kurt put up a great fight though. Had to take one of the boys here to get his nose fixed up before we could book him." Burt felt pride welling up inside of him. He'd always been proud of Kurt for taking the high road but he'll be damned if it didn't just fill him with a vicious manly sense of satisfaction to know that his son could hold his own in a fight. Serves that punk right. He hopes they can't set it right and he carries a crooked nose for the rest of his life as a reminder.

"Can we see 'em?"

"That's up to the doctors sir. We were told to wait outside."

Carole had known they wouldn't be allowed in. But she had hoped they would wave procedure for once. With no luck in seeing them to distract her, she just had to know. "How many were there?" Her worries grew as the cop's face grew somber.

"There were five in total Ma'am. We're not sure what happened exactly yet but Mr. Nelson was bleeding and dazed when we arrived. Carson told us Kurt broke his nose. The other four boys were across the lot attacking Kurt and Sheryl when we arrived." Carole let out a shaky breath and started to cry in earnest. Even if everyone was ultimately okay it was still terrifying. Anything could have happened. If the police hadn't gotten there on time, if Rick and his friends had been any more organized, her and Burt could have been standing in the morgue instead of the ER. Burt sensed her distress and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He was choked up too. He'd always known that this was a possibility. He'd been blindsided by it last year with Karofsky's death threat, this was just the long awaited culmination.

"They're going to get arrested right? We can press charges and they aren't getting off scott free just because my kid's gay?"

"No sir. Several people staying at the hotel verified that Mr. Nelson started the altercation and threw the first punch." Burt huffed. Yeah, they could come out an say something after it was all over but when the fight was happening they sat inside to watch like it was a show. Some brave people right there. At least their statements were helpful. Burt had an intense fear that when the time came for violence the cops would just step aside like Principal Figgins and say their hands were tied. It was nice to know someone in this town cared about his family.

"I don't care what Kurt or Carson say, they're minors and I'm pressing charges."

"Legally you can only press charges on behalf of Kurt."

"I'll talk with Sheryl. I don't think she's gonna let this go. She lives out of state though, she's only visiting. That gonna be a problem?"

The cop shook his head. "No. The crime happened here. While it would be easier for them to be here for prosecution, as long as they give statements and agree to photos it won't be an issue." They spoke a little more with the officer, deciding what their best course of action would be. Before long the doctors were coming out of the room and ready to give them a diagnosis.

"Kurt has a mild concussion and some abdominal bruising. He busted his lip but it doesn't need stitches. We're going to keep him over night so we wake him up regularly. Carson's jaw isn't fractured but it'll be very sore for the next few weeks and he should avoid speaking and solid food. He scraped off a fair amount of skin. We'll write up a prescription for some antibiotic ointment. You'll have to keep an eye on his vision though, just like before. We're keeping him too.

"Mrs. Phillips, she has bruises on her throat but they're superficial. The oxygen deprivation was minimal. She'll be just fine. Just keep an eye on her tomorrow. If she does anything out of the ordinary, any personality changes or mood swings, have her come back in."

Carole took a deep breath in relief. She could feel the tension draining from Burt as well. Everyone was alright. For now anyways. "Can we see them?"

"Of course. If Kurt starts speaking incoherently or mentions any vision loss let us know."

In unison they descended upon the hospital room, eager and anxious to see the boys, and Sheryl, with their own eyes. Kurt and Carson were lying in beds with Sheryl between them, slumped in her chair and looking tired. There was a vivid bruise starting around the front of her throat. Carson was out cold, probably on pain meds. Kurt however, looked far too surly for someone on painkillers. His arms were crossed over his chest and there was a pronounced pout on his face. Burt didn't want to know if the doctors had already told him he was staying the night. It wouldn't be pretty if he had to do it. "Hey Kurt. How ya feeling?" Kurt gave him a vicious glare in response but Burt didn't take it to heart. He could see the tears building up. Carole could too.

"Oh honey. I'm so sorry. I'm so so sorry." She rushed forward and tried her best to scoop what she could of Kurt up into a hug. He winced and patted her awkwardly on the back.

"It's okay. _You_ don't have anything to be sorry for." Carole let out a loud sob and squeezed Kurt again. Kurt sent Burt a frightened look, prompting him to pull her off. She went limply and wiped her eyes.

"Finn is grounded. No internet, no phone, no video games, no football. I've already talked to Coach Beiste."

Burt rubbed her back and caught Kurt's eye. "I called the Berry's. I don't know what they're doing to her but she's getting hers too." There was a vicious streak a mile wide in Kurt's heart that demanded to know what exactly Rachel was going to get. If her track record was anything to go by "getting hers" would probably amount to a talk about disappointment. "I can see what you're thinkin' and I want you to stop. Leroy was pissed. He was yelling before he even hang up the phone. She won't be getting a smack on the wrist for this." Kurt was still skeptical, but he was a bit more hopeful. Leroy was certainly the more stern father.

"You know, I came out here so Carson could relax after his brush with death." The snark and judgment was plain in Sheryl's voice. Kurt wouldn't be surprised it Carson heard it. Burt wasn't going to take it though. He pulled himself up to full height and pointed right at her.

"No. You came out here so Carson could see Kurt. Because he has a right to. And if you had bothered to keep up with Kurt's life like I tried to do for Carson you would know what it's like here. You should remember what it's like. You spent two years taking care of Kurt and watching people tear him down."

"Carson almost—"

"He almost died. And when I heard I thought I was going to too. But it was a freak accident. That ain't gonna happen again. Don't you start in on me and Kurt because of this. I didn't cause this. It was a stupid mistake by a kid. Lord knows we did some stupid shit as kids. You may not remember it but I do. And you made plenty of stupid mistakes with Kurt when he was a kid." Carole squeezed Burt's arm and cleared her throat.

"A little off topic Burt."

He shrugged and sighed. "This was a long time coming. I've been waitin for for this call since Kurt was a toddler."

"_Dad_." Kurt was openly upset, the sadness completely wiping out any anger over being held in the hospital. Burt held out his hand to stop Kurt from going on.

"I've been waiting. I thought last year was going to be it. That Karofsky kid scared the hell out of me. I thought with him running around I'd get a call that Kurt was found lyin' in a ditch somewhere. I don't understand why this is what set them off but it did. And it ain't Kurt's fault. It ain't mine. It's those kids. They grow up not knowin' there's more out there besides this town and winnin' at football and havin' a cute girlfriend. They see people like Kurt and they get scared and aggressive. I'm not gonna ask Kurt to change who he is to make things easier. Would I like it if Kurt could pass a little better? Yeah, because it would mean he could walk around town each day without worrying about getting beaten up. But I'm not gonna make him change who he is or apologize for it. I'm sorry Carson got mixed up in all this but you can't tell me they wouldn't have given Kurt a hard time in Clover. Small towns are all the same."

Sheryl rolls her eyes but keeps her mouth shut. It's true. She's just pissed she couldn't do anything to stop it. She's not angry at Burt or Kurt. She's angry at God, or the Universe, or fate; whoever it is that makes her life hell. She can't catch a break, never could, and now it's like Carson and Kurt are inheriting her shit luck. It's not fair.

"Are you going to leave?" Kurt's voice is small and hurt. Sheryl doesn't want to look at him. If she does she'll see that same heartbroken look he wore as a kid. She doesn't want to be that person anymore. It's just so hard.

"No. Carson wants to do Thanksgiving together."

"It'll be cramped but you two can stay with us at the house." Even though it wasn't the hotel's fault he really doesn't want Carson and Sheryl staying there anymore. Carole felt the same. A crowded house was a small price to pay to keep everyone safe. Sheryl wasn't so bad once you got to know her. Abrasive and rude, a little bit yeah, but she had her reasons. Being jilted by love and fate was something she understood far too well. She just wanted to be a good mom and couldn't find the strength or direction.

"The boys have to stay overnight but you're more than welcome to come home with us Sheryl. You spent whole nights in the hospital with him didn't you? I don't think he'll be upset if you take a break. Let Burt stay tonight. We can go do something."

Sheryl wanted to refuse the invitation out of spite. She wanted to match Carole up with April and hate them both but she couldn't. It was probably because Kurt liked her so much. Carson couldn't care less about April. She was just some pharmacist engaged to a man he hated. Carole was a mother figure though, a good, put together mom that took the time to get to know Kurt. Maybe spending a few nights with her wouldn't be so bad. If nothing else it would keep Carson happy, and Kurt too. "Yeah, sure." If this had happened a few years ago Sheryl would have left without another word or look. But she'd spent a few days talking to Kurt, seeing the person he'd become, seeing what he dealt with every day. She patted Kurt's face like you would a dogs and ran her hand up to ruin his hair. When he didn't smack her she took it as a victory. With a sniff she headed to the door, nodding to Burt in passing.

"Mom?"

"Yeah?" Sheryl turned. It wasn't Carson who'd spoken. That didn't bother her as much as she thought.

**Epilogue**

College was a liberating place. All around Kurt there were kids experimenting with their sexuality, their fashion, and their bodies. It was nice to know he wasn't the only one who'd needed an escape. His roommate was deliciously out there, a transsexual female to male half Hispanic, half Asian that spoke in broken English and lived for competitive gaming. Kurt could practically feel the population of Lima shivering at the thought. It wasn't all rainbows though. He was at Parsons instead of NYADA. Rachel wasn't too pleased, not that he cared much at this point. She hadn't gotten into NYADA either but unlike him she hadn't applied to backup schools. When Carson heard the news he laughed until he choked. It was oddly satisfying.

Parsons wasn't bad though. No one gave him a second glance, no matter what he was wearing, unless it was in appreciation. There were plenty of people who loved the theater. And he'd joined a few clubs, drama among them.

Northwestern had gladly accepted Carson. Instead of commenting on his failed literary magazine, they marveled over his essay. With a lot of coaxing Kurt had convinced Carson to write an essay about his experiences, with the accident and the lightning strike. His acceptance letter contained a short handwritten letter from the dean commenting on the sheer genius of the snark involved and the awe she felt at his story. The no nonsense, not sorry for himself tone had struck a cord in her.

Carson was doing just fine, although his roommate left a little to be desired. He was saddled with a guy that didn't understand that masturbation was a personal practice. When Carson mentioned it Kurt steered them into a conversation about sexuality again. Which Carson stilted by saying "No I haven't figured myself out yet, you'll be the first to know when I do." Kurt was betting on Pansexual still and out of pure spite Carson was throwing Asexuality in his face. It may not have sounded politically correct in polite company, but they didn't mean any harm by it.

They didn't have any grand plans to live together after college but there were some nice villas in New Jersey that rented out for summer leases that they could afford if they went in together. It was a compromise that didn't satisfy either of them and they loved it on principle. Burt, Sheryl, and Carole were supportive, a little disappointed they wouldn't be coming home, but understanding. Sheryl said she was looking forward to Naked Sundays which Carson didn't doubt had started the second he walked out the door. Burt and Carole were a bit more typical, crying and calling way too much. Kurt appreciated it though, especially knowing that they both called Carson as well at least once a week.

Before Kurt knew it, it was a week away from Summer break and everything that had happened in Lima seemed like a cheap movie. It was hard to believe it happened in the span of a few days. It came and went like a hit and run. A long stretch of empty road with songs nobody liked playing on the radio. Then a quick strike and the screech of metal mixed with screams. Their lives had gotten torn open and thrown around for every passerby to see in a matter of moments. And a few days later the mess was swept away and the only people left hurting were the ones going for a ride.

Kurt shook his head. If spending time with Carson was going to make him think like that he would need to haul Blaine up for part of the break. He couldn't come back to school waxing poetic, his designs would go mediocre.


End file.
